4 The Search For Sadie
by ReneeLouvier
Summary: Sadie longs for her children, Scooter and Skeeter. She finally finds them, after a fight with life and with death. They are finally reunited.


Chapter One 

The woman paced in her small house, her glasses perched atop her head, she was rubbing her eyes. It was times like these that she wondered how her children were. She picked up her clipboard, and her bag, heading off to work. She really missed them so much. But, her brother forbade her to see them, so...she was stuck. Her black van pulled up to the news office, and she stepped out of the van. Her dress caught on the door, as it closed. She tugged, and she tugged somemore. Then, it ripped.

"Drat. That's the third dress I've ripped this week..." Her somewhat nasally voice caught the attention of a frog and a bear.

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"Kermit, why are we here again?" Fozzie held the stack of papers in his arms, glancing at the top of them.

"We're going to be promoting our new show, Fozzie! The Hensonville Observer asked me to bring along all of our publicity stuff. They couldn't decide over the phone." Kermit smiled, then he took a chunk of the papers from Fozzie, so it would be lighter.

Fozzie heard someone talking, between the cars. He leaned over and whispered, "Hey, Kermit. That sounds like Scooter."

Kermit frowned a bit. "It can't be. He's back at the theatre."

The two stopped, seeing a lady, instead of Scooter, they watched the lady, who was still struggling with her dress. Kermit handed the stack of papers back to Fozzie, and he hopped over to her. "Are you alright mam?"

"I guess I'll be fine, but my dress is caught in some...thing in this door." She pointed down to the now-open door, somehow the dress had gotten twisted into a knob that was inside the door frame itself. She was trying to get it out, because if she didn't she might be suddenly without her skirt.

Kermit reached inside the opening in the doorframe with his slender fingers, and within a moment, he got it undone for her.

"Thank you...?"

"I'm Kermit. Kermit the Frog."

"Thank you, Kermit. I'm Sadie Grosse. I...I better get back to work. My boss'll have my head if I'm late!" She gathered up her clipboards, and supplies, along with a large stack of papers, and she made her way into the building.

Kermit paused for a second, thinking. Then he just shook it away. He suddenly heard Fozzie make a noise behind him.

"Keermiiit!" Fozzie was weaving around, trying to keep this huge stack of papers in his arms. Because many of it was pictures, and they would be ruined should they touch the ground. Kermit ran and then the two of them slowly made their way inside the Hensonville Observer's pressroom.

The observant frog looked around for the red-headed lady...but he didn't happen to see her. After that day, he forgot about her completely.

But...she didn't completely forget about him.

Chapter Two

As Sadie settled into her desk, looking over the layouts for the newspaper, while she was typing furiously at her laptop. She was trying to skim an article down to where it would fit.

"SADIE! I told you those muppets get that back page!" Her boss walked into her tiny office. He was a tall human man, with a sharp black business suit on, dangling from his mouth was a lit cigarette. He leaned over Sadie's desk, and blew the smoke into her face. She saw the smoldering end of it about to fall off, and she shoved an old ashtray underneath his mouth.

"Sir, could you please put that out? I don't really like it you know." Sadie said, timidly towards her boss.

He just laughed, and grabbed the ashtray from her hands. "Who signs your paychecks?"

"You do."

"Who made sure you got this job. After what had happened before?"

"You did." She looked down towards her laptop, typing once more, only a bit slower this time.

"And who protected your children, Ms. Grosse?"

At this remark, Sadie said nothing. Her head stayed bowed in front of her laptop, her glasses glinting from the soft light. Her voice was soft, not wanting to anger her boss. "You never did what you said you would, Mr. Takashi."

He frowned, looking at the small woman at her desk. She was pitiful in his eyes. A lowly office lady, no better then to get coffee and lunch. The only reason she helped with the layout, is because everyone had to do something to contribute to the paper. He was silent, when she looked at him square in the eyes.

"You had them seperated."

"I did what I could Sadie. If it wasn't for my sister, your little girl would probably be a ragabond, you know."

"They are TWINS, not brother and sister, Mr. Takashi!" She stood up, her hands gripping the desk now, she was getting more and more angry by the second. "They have a bond, that no one should remove! They probably don't even know the other one exists!"

All Takashi did was reach forward, and gently stroke her chin with his hand. She felt like biting him, she was so angry. He laughed and started to walk outside towards the main room. He turned back around, a cruel laugh escaped his lips.

"When you can make it, could you go get fresh coffee for everyone? I think they'd like it very much, Ms. Grosse."

Sadie stood there, watching him make his way back to his office. She fumed silently, her mind churning. Then she realized...he does have her under his thumb, and she knew no way how to get out from it.

So, she grabbed her pocketbook, and her coat, leaving the office...to go get everyone coffee.

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"I can't believe we're doing this, Kermie..." Piggy groaned as the coffee machine started sputtering for the third time this morning. Her beautiful blue dress was soaked in coffee, she had to change her gloves twice.

"It's for a good cause, Piggy. Just make sure you don't burn yourself, okay? That's pretty hot coffee over there." Kermit looked over his shoulder smiling at Miss Piggy. She sighed, she did not want to be there, she hates having to really cook and clean.

A few of the Muppets had gathered at Jim's Coffee Shoppe, they were doing something of a fundraiser to help out the children's afterschool place in Hensonville. Fozzie, and Kermit, they loved doing this stuff. Piggy, on the other hand...wasn't too thrilled. But she gritted her teeth, as she handed another patron a fresh cup of coffee.

"And that will be $1.50, madam. Please pay Scooter, over there at the register." Piggy smiled, rather forced. She then pointed to Scooter, who was running the cash register, with a lot of people waiting in line. He was fumbling with a recipt just then. Fozzie came walking out from the back, carrying a large tray of cookies, and other sweet treats to place in the display.

"Fresh cookies, everyone! They are only a dollar...I think." Fozzie yelled out happily, to the packed coffee shop. So many people had turned out in there, they were even spilled out onto the street. The cold winter day pulled them in as well.

Fresh coffee, sweet delights, and the Muppets working for a good cause? Who wouldn't come for all that?

-----------

Sadie pulled up in front of Jim's Coffee Shoppe, and her eyes widened. "Wow, there's usually not that many people here. Maybe Jim's finally made some new desserts or something..." She tugged her coat closer to her, to keep the whipping icy winds away. She trudged inside the shop, looking for the owner.

Jim came walking out from the back, he spoke to Kermit, while holding a large piece of paper in his hand. "I'm really glad you came to help me today, Kermit. We've raised enough money for the afterschool activites just this morning!" Jim smiled at him, happy.

"Oh, good. That's great, Jim! I'm glad we could help you out! We'll stay for the rest of the morning though, till the crowd dies down." Kermit poured a cup of hot chocolate for a little boy, who ran off laughing happily towards his mother. "The kids enjoy that we're here too."

As the red-head walked into Jim's shop, she looked for him. Then she spied him over the crowds. The tall, brown haired man, with his hair tied back, a short beard. Jim saw her, and he smiled.

"Ms. Sadie! Come for the morning round of coffee I see! The usual amount I take it?" Jim replied happily to Sadie, as she made her way through the crowds.

She sighed, looking around at the new crew he apperently had. "Uh, sure, Jim. That'll be fine. Just charge it to Mr. Takashi's account would you?"

Jim's eyes sparkled a little bit, as he tallyed up the amount on a small slip of paper. "I take it he's been a little rough this morning?"

"A little rough? He chewed me out over my..." She exclaimed, loudly, getting a bit frustrated now towards Takashi.

He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow towards her. "Over your what?" He thought he might not have heard her over the din of the crowd.

"...My work. He said the newspaper looked like absolute crap when he looked at it...I really need to get going Jim..." She frowned a bit, then thanked Jim for the coffee.

Sadie walked outside with Scooter, who was starting to load the dry coffee into the back of her car.

"This is a lot of coffee, isn't it mam?" Scooter asked her, while he got the last of the small bags inside her car.

"Yeah, it's for the entire newsroom. They always tell me to do everything in there." She smiled at Scooter, she seemed to remember him, but she kept her mouth shut for the most part.

Scooter laughed a little bit, "Yeah. I don't normally work here, but down at the theatre. I'm the resident go-fer." He gently shut the trunk, and leaned against it for a second. Then he pulled out a ticket from his pocket. He handed it to her.

"It's for our next show! Why don't you come, it'll be great! Oh, and my names Scooter, by the way! Glad to meet you, Mam!"

With that, he walked back towards Jim's Coffee Shoppe. Sadie stared at Scooter, something deep in her mind clicked together just then, She then looked at the ticket in her hands. Turning it over, she looked at the back. Nothing too weird...but, something caught her eye.

The Muppets/The Muppet Show care of Kermit T. Frog.  
Theatre owned and operated by J.P. Grosse.

"J.P.! He owns that...theatre...?"

Chapter Three

She got back to work, and started the coffee machines with the freshly-ground coffee she got from Jim. Her co-workers starting piling into the small break room. They shoved her outside actually, just to get to the coffee. Many were Muppets, and some were humans. She moaned softly as someone accidently jabbed into her chest, just to get through.

"They're like animals when it comes to that coffee, huh Sadie?" A fellow co-worker replied to her, as she helped her up.

"Ugh. Thanks, Lisa. They are. It's like it's their blood or something..." She brushed her shirt a bit, noticing in the trampling she had a footprint on it.

"Me, I don't drink coffee. I prefer water...or maybe soda. But yeah...they are absolutely nuts when it comes to that coffee." Lisa watched the workers file out of the room, and to their respective cubicles. "I'm just glad I don't drink the stuff. I'd be in that mob as well."

Sadie frowned, then started to walk back to her office. Lisa followed, with a few papers in her hand. "You said you needed to get the Muppets more space in the paper?" Lisa stated.

"Yeah. They've got a nice winter show coming up, and Kermit had asked Mr. Takashi for more room. But Takashi said if we could squeeze it in, they'd get it. Otherwise..."

With that Sadie lifted up the pre-print layout of the backpage. A small section, maybe 1/3 of the page, was an ad for the Muppets.

"Oh dear. That's not all that much...and it's on the back page too! I can't believe Takashi would do that to them!" Lisa sat on a chair, in front of Sadie's desk, then she saw the brightly colored ticket on her desk.

"Oh! When were you able to get it? It's not even being sold just yet!"

"Oh, some kid named Scooter gave me it, when I was down at Jim's shop." She smiled, remembering the young boy. "He was so sweet, he helped me get the coffee into the car."

"Scooter? That name's familiar." Lisa turned the ticket over, and she saw the back. "Hey! That's your brother! He owns the Muppet Theatre?"

"I guess so. I've not talked to him in so long." She glances at an old picture on her desk. It was something of a family picture. Her brother was beside her, and she held her twins in her arms. But...in that picture they both had pale blond hair, as most babies did when they were only a day or so old. That boy...he couldn't be her son.

Lisa looked at Sadie, who apperently wasn't there right then.

"Sadie? Yoo-hoo? Earth to Sadie, please come in!" Lisa tapped on the desk, pulling Sadie out of her thoughts and into the real world.

"Oh! Sorry..."

"Thinking about the kids again, huh?"

"Yeah. I miss them so much, whenever I try to ask Jerry about it, he just brushes it off, saying the're fine..."

"Hun. He'd say that even if they were dead."

"You think so?"

"He's such a odd man. He's never spoken about what he does for a living, never even lets you get near himself, familywise. He's so secretive."

Sadie was quiet, watching her friend speak such things about her brother. Looking back at the picture, Sadie sighed.

"I just wish he'd tell me something about them."

Lisa frowned, looking at the picture as well. "Did you even have the chance to give them names yet?"

"No. Ms. Nancy Takashi, Mr. Takashi's sister, she took care of them for me. I never was able to see them. I guess...she named them as well.."

"So she was their nanny then? Did you ever talk to her?"

"Sometimes...but only maybe once or twice a year. Because of Jerry, he wouldn't really let me talk to her. I sneaked those few calls in whenever I could. I never asked specifically about them, just 'Were they okay?' , 'Did they do this, or do that?' Those kinds of questions. She only called me once back."

"And...why was that?"

"To tell me they had gotten adopted...seperately."

Lisa's expression dropped, she had been Sadie's friend for nearly 15 years now. She knew what had happened, but even then, her friend hadn't told her this much before.

"Oh...no. That's horrible, Sadie!"

Heavy footsteps thudded down the hall right then. They could smell cigarette smoke wafting down towards the room. Lisa stood up, and started to walk out the room. She turned back to Sadie, a small frown on her face.

"Maybe you should call that nanny again. She might be able to help you."

Sadie only nodded, as Lisa left before Takashi could get down the hall to her room.

He stopped, looking inside for a moment. He saw she was typing once more, working. He nodded silently, continuing down the hall.

Then, after he left, she decided to give someone a call.

Chapter Four

Nancy was watching something on the TV, when she heard the phone rang. Her thoughts drifted away from the show, as she walked down the hall.

'I wonder who would be calling me? Maybe it's one of the kids...' She picked up the phone gently.

"Hello? This is Nancy, and who might this be?"

"Um...hello Nancy. How are you doing lately? It's, me, Sadie Grosse."

"Oh, Sadie. A pleasure to talk to you, after all this time. How are you doing, sweetheart?"

"I'm...fine. I guess." Sadie looked down at her desk. Her laptop was almost the only light filling that small room of her's. It felt like the world didn't exist to her outside that area.

"You sound worried. What's the matter?"

Sadie was quiet for a moment, she smiled inside. Despite she had saddled this woman with her twins...she still regarded her with graciousness. She felt she didnt' deserve it from such a nice, strong-willed lady.

'It's the kids. Do you have any idea how they're doing? Jerry won't tell me a blessed thing about them just yet."

"I see. I've not talked to them in sometime. ...I never got the chance to tell you their names, have I?"

Sadie laughed softly. "I never wanted to bother you with it. Plus...I'm not sure if I should know. They took them away from me you know..."

"Dear. It was only because you were so young...it was to protect them."

Sadie's breath stopped dead cold. Her thoughts raced feverishly. She took off her thick black glasses, and rubbed her forehead momentarily. She had to try very hard, not to yell into the phone.

"Protect them? From what? I'm their mother! I...I made a mistake. We both know that. And I paid for it for giving them up..."

"You did not make a mistake, Sadie."

"...What do you call getting pregnant with twins when you're only sixteen years old! Having a kid, when you're almost a kid yourself!"

By this time, she was yelling. She couldn't stop herself, the flood gates had opened in her heart, and her mouth was saying what her heart felt. Her mind was shut down from all rational thought at that time.

"I NEARLY LOST MY SON! Then...THEN I HAD TOO...oh, god, Nancy...WHY? Why did they take them away from me? And why dosn't Jerry tell me anything? WHY?"

Nancy was silent, listening to Sadie rant about her children. She knew the heartache she had, she too had lost a child, but...she knew where her child was, and that is why she didn't yell back at her. She nodded her head, still quiet.

"...why won't you say anything...?"

"Maybe we should see each other, Sadie. I could clear up so many things, but I'd rather speak to you in person, dear."

"Sure, Nancy. ...but like I had asked...before I just blew up like that...do you know how they are?"

Nancy thought for a moment, then she smiled. Sadie could almost hear that smile in her voice. "Your son is doing fine, and your little girl, she's away at some competition, she calls regularly here. But...the little boy, he's not called in quite sometime. But I know he's safe, Sadie."

"Please, tell me their names."

"I hate to say this, but not just yet. I'll come to your office in a day or so. I'll bring photoalbums and other things, okay?"

Sadie nodded, feeling a slight warmth in her chest. She was getting happy, she felt hope again.

"Sure, Nancy. I'll still be here. Bring all you can. We'll talk then, I take it?"

"Yes. We'll talk then, Sadie. It'll be great to see you once more."

"Alright. See you in a couple of days, then Nancy."

Nancy said her goodbyes, hanging up the phone. She walked up to attic, and pulled down a small box, labeled 'Scooter & Skeeter', she shifted the boxes around. That was the last box still up there, with memories still inside. She looked inside, to make sure everything was there.

"Good. I'm glad that they'll be happy again."

She stepped down the small ladder slowly, the box underneath her arm. She took one last look in that dusty, old attic. The other's were gone.

"Kermit's went to his mother at the swamp...Fozzie's mother has his as well. Hortense has Piggy's. Bunsen and Beaker got theirs awhile back."

She continues walking down the hall, talking softly to herself, remembering those times. When they had come back to claim their old baby belongings. She stopped in front of the old nursery, and she smiled.

"Rowlf sent his box to his brother. I hope his mother got it safely. The band came and got Animals for him. He probably ate what little was left in there." She chuckled, remembering Animal's appetite.

"Suprised there was anything left." She touched Kermit's old rocking horse, and she sighed. She walked over and closed the top to Rowlf's piano. "I should send that to Rowlf. He'd like to see it again."

"And finally...Scooter and Skeeter..." She held the small box in front of her. She sat in the old stuffed chair once more, she gently lifted out Scooter's small computer.

She idly tapped a few keys, and the screen came on. "Oh? What's this..." There was actually words on the screen. She was somewhat suprised at that, she didn't know he knew how to type just yet.

"What does this say? Oh..."

'Dear Mommy,

I miss you. Please, come see me and sis. Where are you? Nanny says you're working. I wish you'd come see us. We miss you. My glasses broke to other day. Skeeter stomped them. Shes mean sometimes. She teases me. She still loves me, but I am her bro. So, she fights me.

We really miss you mommy. Please come back.

Luv, Scooter.

Nancy's had tears in her eyes, after she read it. "Even then...he missed her. Jerry had told me, they wouldn't remember her..."

She closed the laptop, then she glanced at Skeeter's gym mat, and their shoes. She saw Scooters old striped shirt, and Skeeters green one.

Closing her eyes, a few tears slid down her cheeks. She felt horrible for what she did. It tore her heart apart.

"I could have brought them to her...no one would have known..." She whispered to the empty room, tears choking her old voice.

The only response was the old baby mobile, which was turning slowly above the vacant crib...

Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Um, I don't know what possessed me to write this...but...yeah. I hope ya'll enjoy it.

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Takashi was sitting in his office, fuming. He glared at the muppet across from him. His hands were clasped together on his desk, a lit cigarette in his clamped mouth. An ashtray full of cigarette stubs and ash sat beside his laptop.

"...You can't let her see them."

The muppet squirmed a bit, he was wondering what Takashi could do. He stayed silent.

"Grosse? What do you say to that? Answer ME!" With that, he slammed both fists on the desk, sending the ashtray flying. It landed on Jerry's head. He shook it off, covered in the cigarette stench now.

"...I'll send Scooter away again."

"He's almost 20 now. He'll object. He'll stay with his friends."

"I'll convice Kermit to send him away, then! That boy listens to that frog unquestioningly."

"That frog has a stronger will then that nephew of yours. How will do you this, Grosse?"

Jerry sat in the chair, slowly wiping the ashes away from himself, his mind racking wildly at what he could do.

"Why must we keep them apart, Eli?" He didn't want it either, but it confused him still.

"Money." Eli Takashi said simply.

"Money? What about it?" Jerry was not a nice man, but Eli...he was positively the most evil, and cruel man he had ever met in his life.

He put Doc Hopper to shame, he thought.

"They'll find out, Jerry. They could sue us."

"I don't think Sadie would go that far..." Jerry's mouth was shut tightly by Eli's hand suddenly. Eli walked around behind Jerry, he placed a heavy hand on J.P.'s shoulder.

"Jerry, my dear friend. Who gave you a loan, for that crummy theatre?"

Jerry sighed, he knew he still had to pay Takashi back. "You did, Eli. But what does Scooter and Sadie play in this?"

"That boy...he can't know the truth."

"But why, Eli? It won't kill him! He's been through hard times, this is nothing to what that boys' been through!" Jerry remembered when the twins were born.

Takashi suddenly wasn't speaking about money anymore. It struck Grosse to his very soul, when he realized just what Takashi was speaking of...

"He dosn't remember, Jerry. It would kill the poor boy's heart, if he knew what his mother had done..." He took a softer tone to his voice, it sounded like he was almost pleading with him now.

"Sadie did nothing to harm him."

He grabbed a chair, and he sat down beside J.P. He had both hands on his thighs now, leaning in towards him. As he smiled, Jerry could feel himself getting nervous.

"But...she did do something to him. Ever wonder why the poor boy was so...sickly, when he was a child?"

Jerry stood up, going towards the door. He didn't wish to talk anymore to Takashi.

"Jerry, he must know." Takashi stayed seated, while Jerry left the room. Takashi smiled evilly, he knew what Jerry knew, but wouldn't speak about.

"That boy will be joining an old friend of mine soon, if he dosn't watch out."

Takashi stood up out the chair, and he looked at an old picture on his desk. It was of him and an couple of old friends.

"...Richard...the poor man..."

He picked up the old picture, smiling at it, Then he threw it into the trash, laughing softly as he started to type up a review for the paper, wondering just what Jerry was going to go and do.

Chapter Six

Everyone piled into the theatre, after the long, hard day helping Jim at the coffee shop. Piggy went straight to her dressing room, she was quite a sight.

"Did you serve the coffee, or take a bath in it, Piggy?" Clifford remarked, seeing the usually beautiful pig so bedraggled. She had coffee grounds in her hair, and a straw was sticking out of it. Her gloves were stained with dark coffee, and her dress and apron was soaking wet.

"Humph!" She snorted, walking towards her dressing room. "They made me make the coffee all DAY!"

Kermit, Fozzie and Scooter walked in behind Piggy. Fozzie went ahead up to the front seats, just to sit and read his joke book quietly, he was a little tired. Kermit went and sat on the stage, waiting for everyone else to settle down.

"Okay, we got some great publicity with the fundraising drive today!" Kermit announced happily to all the muppets, that would listen.

"How much did we make, Kermit?" Rizzo asked, munching on an apple.

"Well, we didn't make anything, actually. I said we got publicity, not money."

"Oh." Rizzo went back to eating the apple, talking with Gonzo about the latest postcard he got from his family.

Kermit said a few more things, about the Winter show, and who was going to do what. Scooter, didn't really seem to be listening. He walked back to Kermit's desk, and found his clipboard. He sat down, and flipped through it.

"We've got insurance, water, heating bills to pay. Ooh, we need to go ahead and get the light bill paid. Oh..yeah." He stood up and poked his head outside the backstage.

"Clifford! You get that light fixed just yet?"

Clifford stood up, so Scooter could hear him clearly. "Naw, man! It just keeps breaking! I'm tired of fixing that danged light!"

Scooter sighed. "We'll get someone out here then to look at it."

Kermit looked back at Scooter. "We can't afford that, Scooter. That's only half of the bills in your clipboard!"

Scooter's eyes widened, looking at what was in his hands, then he groaned, sitting back down. "Alright, Boss! I guess we'll have to make do then.."

Clifford went back up the ladder, to check on that light again. While Piggy, Kermit, and the most of the rest went home.

Except for Scooter. He was double checking the paperwork, filing everything back approiately. He made sure Chef cleaned up the cafeteria, which he was prone not to do. Within the hour, it was only him and Clifford still inside the theatre.

Clifford walked back towards the right wing, into the backstage area. He saw Scooter asleep in the records room. His computer was on, and the boy was snoring. He walked over to Scooter, and shook his shoulder.

"Come on man, it's nearly 11pm. We both need to get home."

Scooter opened his eyes, looking over at Clifford, he laughed softly. "Yeah. I guess I got to wrapped in what I was doing."

"Uh-huh. Oh, I finally got that stupid light to work."

"That's great! Let's see it before we leave."

"Alright." Clifford walked over to the light panel, and he switched it on. The light shone brightly against the otherwise dark stage. It stayed on...for a moment. Then a loud pop was heard, darkness filled the stage.

In the darkness, Scooter could see Clifford dancing around in anger. He was furious at what just happened.

"AW MAN! That light ain't NEVER gonna work!"

Scooter laughed, as he picked up his jacket, starting for the door. "Better luck next time, eh, Cliffy?

"Man, I told you not to call me that."

"Well, then. Don't call me 'Scoot'."

"But that's your name."

"Scoot-er is my name. Not 'Scoot.' Alright?"

"Alright. Whatever man. Let's just get back to the house."

As Scooter walked towards the door, Clifford had noticed something, while they talked. Scooter was looking a bit pale, and more tired then usual. He shook it off, figuring maybe he was just was in front of that computer too much lately.

Chapter Seven

As Clifford and Scooter walked along the street, in the night, it was quiet between the two men. Scooter was a step behind Clifford, thinking about the day at Jim's place.

'That woman looked so familiar...' He remembered tallying up her order for her.

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"That'll be thirty dollars, mam!" He had told her, holding out the recipt for her. Jim walked over and tapped Scooter on the shoulder.

"I'll take care of it Scooter, why don't you go help her with it?" He asked Scooter, gently. Scooter had nodded his head, walking outside with the woman.

He saw the large amount of coffee bags and filters he had to take out.

"This is a lot of coffee, isn't it mam?" Scooter had asked her, while he got the last of the small bags inside her car.

"Yeah, it's for the entire newsroom. They always tell me to do everything in there." She smiled at him, her mind seemed to be away, in deep thought for a moment.

He laughed a little bit, "Yeah. I don't normally work here, but down at the theatre. I'm the resident go-fer." He had gently shut the trunk, and leaned against it for a second. He remembered he had a ticket for the next show. He decided to give it to her.

He handed the ticket to her, smiling widely. "It's for our next show! Why don't you come, it'll be great! Oh, and my names Scooter, by the way! Glad to meet you, Mam!"

The lady thanked him. And with that, the lady had gotten into her car and then drove away. She never told him her name. He had no name to connect to her...

-------------

Clifford looked at Scooter, who had stopped walking right in the middle of the sidewalk. He tilted his head, watching him. He didn't see him move an inch, until he walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yo...Scooter? You okay?" Clifford took his sunglasses off, and looked at the gofer closely.

Scooter starting walking again, smiling. He didn't want to tell Clifford what he was remembering. Deep in his mind he remembered her...but he couldn't figure out from where. During all the movies, and all the shows, he's seen many people...but she stuck in his mind. He wondered if he was in love...or merely going mad.

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Kermit was sitting on the couch, waiting for both Clifford and Scooter to come back from the theatre. The door opened, and Kermit sat up somemore, watching. He smiled as he saw the two come inside.

"Did anything go wrong guys?"

"No, Boss, everything was fine. I just finished filing everything, and Clifford was trying to fix the light again."

"Did it work, Clifford?"

Clifford just grumbled something, walking up the stairs. He looked a bit angry again. All Kermit could hear him say was "...blasted light...blew up again!"

"Blew up again?" Kermit looked questioningly at Scooter. Scooter just smirked.

"It popped again, I think the bulb might've broken again."

"Oh. Maybe we should pay someone to come and fix it..." Kermit let his sentence trail off, as he saw how pale Scooter was.

"Scooter, are you okay? You look sick. You should go ahead to bed." Kermit lifted Robin up from beside him gently, the little frog had wanted to stay awake for the two to come back.

"Yeah, I probably should, Kermit." He noticed Robin in Kermit's arms. "He tried to stay up, huh?"

"Yes...he was worried about you two. You normally don't stay that late, Scooter."

"I...I fell asleep in front of the computer, actually Kermit." Scooter looked to the side, he's normally not so inattentive as he felt just then.

Kermit looked back at Scooter, and he smiled. "We all probably just need some more rest, that's all." He went up the stairs, and laid Robin down in his room, then went to bed himself. A few minutes later Scooter followed. He was quite happy to see there was no line for the bathroom.

He went inside, and well, used it. Then he looked at himself in the bathroom's mirror. His normally bright orange face, it was indeed paler. The only time he'd seen himself look this pale, was when he stayed awake for nearly a whole week, for college finals. He shook his head, turning the light off, and going towards his bedroom.

"Maybe...I should go see a doctor about this..." He went into his bedroom, and closed the door, going to bed.

Chapter Eight

Everyone woke up, in the Muppet Boarding House, at the usual time as normal. The Electric Mayhem were going off to a gig they had, Miss Piggy was off shopping. Nearly everyone was out of the house by eight am. Except one.

Scooter sat at his computer, reading over some stories he had found.

"Wow, I can't believe so many people write about us..."

Robin hopped up the stairs, and saw Scooter's door was open. He normally was at the theatre at this time of the day. The little frog walked into his room, and saw Scooter, still in his pjs and robe, with a cup of coffee on the small table beside him. He was curled up in a large armchair, with a laptop balanced on his knees. Scooter looked up when he saw Robin.

"Hey Robin. What're you still doing here? Don't you have Frog Scouts today?" Scooter took a sip of his coffee, smiling at Robin.

"No, the leader got the flu, so we're not having it for a couple of days." Robin walked over to Scooters chair, and Scooter lifted the little frog into the chair, so he could sit beside him. "What'cha looking at?"

"Oh. Just some stories." Scooter clicked the scroll button a couple of times, he found a story called "Swamp Call". He clicked on the link.

"Hey! That person...has a picture of me. Why?" Robin looked up at Scooter.

"Well, I guess she likes what you've done on the show, Robin." Scooter turned and coughed loudly into his sleeve. He picked up Robin and set him on his bed.

"Scooter, are you sick? Um..." Robin wasn't sure what to say, he didn't want to get sick, but he also didn't want to be rude to his friend either.

Scooter coughed some more, feeling a bit more weak. That's one of the reasons he was still at the house, in this nightclothes and not at the theatre, where he normally was.

"If you want to leave, I'd understand Robin." Scooter smiled at Robin, he didn't want to get Robin sick either. He was only a little kid, anyways. He had school, and frog scouts. He didn't need a cold right now. Robin hopped off the bed, and started to leave quietly. Scooter went back to reading the story, drinking his now quite cold coffee.

-----------

"That gofer has been in his room all day, Kermie. Why wasn't he at the theatre eariler, when we were practiting?" Piggy hauled another bag inside the house, going through it. It had some new costumes for her, for next weeks show. She handed Kermit a pretty new black tuxedo for him.

"He's sick, Piggy. He told me he didn't want to make anyone else sick. He dosn't have an act anyways. Why should he be there all the time?" Kermit glanced at the black tuxedo. He preferred his old purple one to this. It wasn't so stiff feeling.

Piggy looked at a blue dress she had bought, she ran her fingers over the material. It was so silky and soft. She set it down, looking at Kermit. "It's not the same without him."

Kermit nodded, she normally didn't show that she cared for others, except for him. But he knew what she meant. He is a bit of a bother, but he ended up keeping everyone on time. No one carried a watch, 'cept Scooter and sometimes maybe Fozzie. Kermit picked up the new tuxedo they had bought for Scooter, holding it over his shoulder. Everyone had new tuxes, for the ending of the Winter Show. Although Scooter didn't actually have an act, he was still coming out for the big finale and bow with the rest of them.

He walked up the stairs, and he knocked on Scooter's door. It was closed now. He didn't hear anything at all coming from the room. Maybe the soft hum of his laptop, but nothing else. He might be sleeping, Kermit had thought. He hung Scooter's tuxedo outside his door.

Robin walked out from his room, crying softly. He held some papers in his hand, looking down at them, still sniffling.

"Robin, what's wrong?" Kermit looked worried, at his nephew. He kneeled down to see what it was Robin had in his hands. It looked like a story. He saw the title, "Swamp Call".

"Is it this?" He picked up the story, and flipped through it quickly. Not really reading it, but skimming it. His eyes widened when he saw a few of the lines. "Where did you get this, Robin? And...why would someone write this...?"

Robin sniffled some more, and he looked up at his uncle. "Scooter...he printed it off for me. He said he liked it, Uncle Kermit!" He started to cry again, and he looked at Robin again. He picked him up, and hugged him.

"Robin...what's making you cry? Is it this story?" He saw what the story meant, his mother...and Robin's parents. But he knew it was fiction.

"GRANDMA'S GONNA DIE!" He clung to the older frogs chest, wailing now. At Robin yelling, Fozzie and Rowlf poked their heads out from their rooms.

"What's going on Kermit?" Fozzie walked out, and looked at Kermit. Kermit face was twisted into worry for his nephew, and slight anger at Scooter, for even thinking of giving this story to Robin to read.

"Robin read a bit of a scary story, Fozzie..." Kermit scrunched up his face, as he threw the story away. It was probably good to read, but not for Robin.

"Bu-But, Uncle Kermit! Is Grandma gonna be okay?" Robin looked up at Kermit, who just patted his back.

"Robin, that story wasn't real. Grandma's perfectly fine. She's never had anything like that. Okay? It's not real. Why don't you go watch some TV, with Miss Piggy? I need to speak with Scooter for a bit."

Robin hopped out of his uncle's arms, and walked down the stairs. He just sat halfway down the stairs, and stayed there. He was quiet, thinking.

"Sheesh..." He knocked on Scooter's door. There was still no response. "Sick or not, I'm gonna talk to you Scooter!" He pounded on the door then. The door suddenly swung open. Scooter was standing in the doorway, looking like death boiled over twice.

"Yes, Chief?" He coughed again, and sighed. "What's wrong?"

Kermit talked to him about what had happened with Robin, he was quite peeved at it.

"I didn't realize he wouldn't know it wasn't fiction, Boss. I'm sorry." He walked farther inside his room and grabbed his laptop, showing Kermit the place where he had found the story. "See? This is family-orinted and everything. And I knew the story was probably a bit much. I just didn't realize..." He coughed yet again, this time sitting on the bed. "...he would think it was real. Darn it! I've taken some medicine but this cough won't go away!"

Kermit sat on the bed beside Scooter. He smiled a bit, he realized what Scooter had tried to do for Robin.

The little guy loved to read, and was saying lately, that he had gotten bored with the books at the house. Kermit didn't have the time to take Robin down to the libary, with the winter show and all. So Scooter had just tried to find something he might like.

Scooter just didn't realize Robin sometimes dosn't know the difference between fiction and non-fiction.

He looked at the gofer, who was still coughing. Scooter laid back on the bed, across the width of it, he looked at Kermit with tired eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kermit."

"For what, Scooter? That might not have been the wisest story for Robin...but he should be over it in a while."

"No...for being so sick all of a sudden...I don't think I'll be able to be in the Winter show."

"Maybe you should get some rest. You're only in the finale anyways. We'll do fine."

"Without me, you mean?" Scooter smirked. He knew Kermit never liked to say outright that they didn't need anyone, except to Fozzie. Kermit was too modest to say that.

"Well...yeah."

"That's okay, head honcho. I'll get some more rest then. I've got a doctor's appointment tommorrow, anyways."

Kermit stood up, and looked down at Scooter, who was still laid across his bed. "I'll see if Fozzie can drive you there. I don't want to see you driving yourself, okay?"

"Right, Kermit." He turned over, just exhausted. He was asleep before Kermit even left the room.

Kermit turned the light off, and he frowned. He was very worried about his friend now. Maybe he's just got what Robin's frog scout has.

'Yeah, he probably has just the flu.' Kermit reassured himself.

Chapter Nine

Nancy had gathered up all of the twin's old things. She placed them gently into the backseat of her old car. She sat in the drivers seat, and looked in the mirror for a moment, then down at her legs. She pulled at her old green coat, picking at a few fuzz balls. Her purple skirt was hiked up around her thighs from when she sat down in the seat. Smoothing it out, she pulled her green and blue socks up again.

"I hope I didn't forget anything. I may not get to see her after this...if she does what I think she will..." She said to herself, as she pulled the car out of the driveway, she looked both ways, and was about to pull out into the road, when a large black car screeched up in front of her, darting around the corner, suddenly.

She swerved her car the opposite direction, trying to keep it from hitting her. The car slammed into her left side, taking out the back light with a sharp shatter of plastic and glass. The car shook violently, as it lurched forward like it was shot out of a cannon. All she could was pray, as the steering wheel was locked tight.

It finally rolled to a stop, about 20 feet down the road, after it ran through two mailboxes. She gripped the wheel, terrifed. Her hands were white, her knuckles visible as she kept clenched to that steering wheel. Finally she exhaled loudly, letting her head drop backwards onto the seat.

The black car roared down the road in front of her, it didn't stop for anything or anyone. The man driving kept his head down, for he would die if she saw who it was driving that black vehicle.

-----------

"Eli...your own sister...I can't believe it." Jerry shook his head, listening to Eli tell him of what he did eariler that day.

"I had too...she was getting way too close to finding Sadie!" Eli was muttering to himself, sucking at a cigarette as if it were the air he was supposed to breath. With his free hand, he was tapping a pencil against the desk rapidly. He stopped mumbling, and stared at Jerry.

"She was too close, Jerry!"

"...Nancy is nearly 60 years old now. You could have killed her? Did you ever think of that, Eli?" Jerry gripped the sides of the desk, getting in Eli's face now.

"Oh...NO. I could have killed her...oh no...no, no, no..." Eli glared down at the desk, his mind reeling from the thought of killing his sister.

J.P. Grosse watched him, then he stood up. He placed a small card on the desk and he left. Mr. Takashi picked up the card. It was the address and number for a psych ward.

Eli's anger boiled when he read it.

----------

Nancy limped back to her house, after having Mr. Caruthers help her push the car back into her garage. She carried the memory box back inside, and she sat in her kitchen once more. The phone was in front of her, and her leg was propped up on another chair, with ice on it. She was glad that was all that had happened.

---------

The phone rang at Sadie's house.

It rang again.

...and again. Finally Sadie reached over, having passed out on the couch, and was before sleeping.

"Yes?"

"Hi, Sadie. I can't make it over there...I've had an accident."

Sadie sat up when she heard this, she got a bit worried.

"What's happened, Nancy?"

Nancy told Sadie everything that had happened.

"Oh..no. Nancy...I'll come down there then." Sadie wasn't sure if she was going to be able to, but she didn't want to put the older woman in any more trouble or pain. "I'll be there right away."

----------

Nancy put the phone down, nodding to what Sadie had said. She knew Sadie knew the way to her house, she'll be fine. A knock at the door, she heard.

"It might be Mr. Caruthers again." She ambled slowly over to the door and opened it.

Nancy took a step back.

"Hi, Nanny."

Chapter Ten

Nancy nearly fell over, from the shock of who was at her door. The lithe figure leapt forward, catching Nancy, before she hit the floor. She helped Nancy walk over to an armchair, in the living room. Then she sat down beside her.

"Nanny...are you alright? It's been...too long, hasn't it?"

Nancy shook her head, and blinked a few times at the girl. Her red hair was pulled down into long pigtails, and she was wearing a beautiful green long-sleeved sweater, with blue jeans on. Her glasses weren't as thick, as Nancy remembered, but...the girl was grown up after all.

"Y-Yes...it has been too long. Wh...what are you doing back here, Skeeter?"

"My gymnastics competition got kicked out of the Hensonville hotel, so we all had to find...f-family to stay with. And...you're the only family I know, Nanny."

Nancy's heart softened a bit, she smiled and started to stand up, but her ankle told her to sit down. "Oh! Oh...that hurts..."

Skeeter knelt down, and looked at Nancy's ankle. "Nanny, what happened? I'll get you some ice, you just stay seated, okay?"

Nancy told Skeeter what had happened, the car accident and all. But...not everything. She decided this was perfect, Sadie could see her little girl. Now...only to find Scooter was going to be a challenge.

Over supper, later that night, Skeeter told her about how she was going to win gold in the Gymnastics Championships, and how she definately wasn't a part of the vandalism the rest of the team did to the opposing teams cars. Nancy looked at Skeeter's bag, and she chuckled a bit, still listening.

There was a small can of spray paint stuck in the bottle holder of the bag. Oh, she definately had no part in it.

After supper, both of them were exhausted, and with little words, except for 'Good Night', they both went to bed. Nancy's mind wandered as to how Sadie would take it, seeing her daughter.

------------

"Fozzie...I'm fine, alright?" Scooter was coughing even worse when he woke up the next morning. Fozzie then leaned over, while driving, to feel Scooter's forehead. Scooter clung onto dear life to the doorframe.

"FOZZZIEEE! WATCH THE ROAD, FOZZIE!"

"Oh! Sorry!" He yanked the car back into his lane, and kept driving properly. Scooter was petrified with fear. He stared at Fozzie, hoping the bear wouldn't try anything else while driving.

They pulled up at the doctor's office, and Fozzie walked inside with Scooter. He signed in, and had to play that horrendous thing known as...the waiting game.

Fozzie had his paw around Scooter, keeping him from falling off the seat. Scooter was sound asleep, even during his sleep he was coughing softly. He looked down at his friend, and he frowned.

"Oh, Scooter." Without thinking Fozzie patted the gofers head, feeling very worried about him. "I hope everything will be alright with you..."

The doctor called Scooter back, and instead of waking Scooter up, Fozzie lifted him up, and started to carry him inside. He felt very light to Fozzie, that also worried him too. He laid Scooter down on the small bed, while the doctor decided to ask Fozzie some questions.

"Has he had less then a normal appetite, Mr. Bear?"

"Yeah, he hasn't eaten dinner at all for the past week or so, and he hardly touches his breakfast."

The doctor nodded, writing something down. Meanwhile, Scooter was still fast asleep behind them both.

"Has he acting differently...or weird lately?"

Fozzie stopped before he answered, he thought. 'What was normal for them?'

The doctor noticed he paused, then he smiled. "I mean, for him, has he acted out of the ordinary?"

"Oh, yes. He's been sleeping so much. He hasn't been to the last three praticates...how is he, Doctor?"

With that, the doctor stood up, and checked Scooter out, then he pulled out a small needle, to which Fozzie yelped.

"Ooh, I don't like needles!"

"It's not for you, Mr. Bear. I need to take a blood sample from Mr. Grosse. We'll have it analized, and then we'll know what's going on with your friend." The doctor smiled, reassuringly, at Fozzie.

"Oh. Right...just be careful please." Fozzie twisted his necktie, watching the doctor take the blood sample.

Scooter opened his eyes, waking up, as he suddenly felt the jab in his arm. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"We're just getting a sample, Scooter. Then we'll see what's happening. Alright?"

Scooter nodded his head, slowly. "Right."

The Doctor labeled the vials, and sent them back to their lab. He turned back to Scooter and Fozzie, and he smiled softly.

"I've told them to run the full spectrum of tests, Mr. Grosse. We'll call the boarding house within the next few hours, okay? We should know then what's going on."

Scooter nodded his head, while Fozzie thanked the doctor. The two went out to the station wagon, and they sat down.

"Hey...why don't we go get something to eat, Scooter? I'm starved!" He was hoping Scooter would agree with him, he hated to see his friends suffer through stuff like this.

Scooter didn't say a word to the kindly bear, he just nodded softly, then stared out the car window; his mind a million miles away about those tests...

Chapter Eleven

Sadie's car pulled up to Nancy's house, and she parked in the small driveway. She saw Nancy's old car, the left tail-light was missing now, with a plastic bag and duct tape covering it up. She stepped out of her car, and walked over to it.

"Oh...goodness. I hope she's alright..." She noticed the white mark, where the other car had almost sheared off the side of Nancy's car.

Nancy had heard the car from outside, and using the crutch she found in a back bedroom of her's, she hobbled out to the side door, it opened out the garage.

"Hi, Sadie! I'm glad to finally meet you...you look just like you do in the pictures..."

Sadie smiled, and walked near the door, Nancy let her inside, and they both walked to the kitchen. Sadie realized the two weren't alone. She heard some odd noises coming from a large room at the end of the hall.

"What's that, Nancy?" She started to walk down there, and Nancy said nothing, as she neared the door. Her hand rested on the doorknob, for a second.

"YEAH! I got the high score finally! I BEAT SCOOTER! I BEAT SCOOTER!" Skeeter was doing this victory dance in the nursery, she had found some old game they used to play when they were toddlers. It actually was quite a unique game. It wasn't for toddlers.

Either that or Nanny thought WAY ahead of what you'd normally think toddlers would have for games.

Sadie turned the doorknob, hearing her yelling. "Hello? Who...is...it..." Her words slowed down, and she felt like her brain had turned into jelly, and her body into stone.

Skeeter saw the woman, and walked over to her. She looked her up and down, she looked a lot like her. "Mam...are you okay?"

"uh...um...oh...ba...mi...oh...my...MY BABY!" Sadie reached forward, and grabbed Skeeter in a tight hug. She kept hugging, until Skeeter pulled away from her.

"...You know me?" Skeeter asked, watching this strange woman.

"Yes...I...I did know you. I...I'm your mother, Skeeter."

"Skeeter?"

"..." Skeeter turned away from Sadie, looking out the old circle window. Then without any words, she walked over and sat down in the windowseat.

"Skeeter...you don't remember me, do you?"

Skeeter was holding back tears now, it looked like she was glaring out the window.

"It's...I do remember you."

Sadie's face lit up, she was happy again...her daughter did remember her. She was worried she wouldn't remember her anymore.

Skeeter's expression was dark, staring at her mother.

"You left us."

------------------

Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo waited eagerly by the phone. It seemed Fozzie was trying to stare the phone into ringing, and that Kermit must've thought making a flipper-sized rut in the floor would work to make it ring. Gonzo just simply watched Scooter's door from the sofa.

It rang.

"I'VE GOT IT!" All three yelled, while they all clamped hand, flipper, and paw on the reciever.

They were fumbling with the phone, yelling at each other. The doctor could be heard yelling as well on the other end.

Piggy shook her head, watching them. "Try the speakerphone, dipsticks." she replied, walking from her room to the kitchen.

Kermit pressed the button for speakerphone, and everyone got themselves untangled from each other.

"Hi! Um...how did it go, Doctor?" Kermit asked uneasily.

The doctor could be heard sighing softly.

"Well, what's happened with Scooter?" Gonzo asked.

"Yes, we'd really like to know, and so would he.." Fozzie replied, twisting his hands over and over, worried.

They could hear some shuffling of papers over the phone, then it stopped.

"I...I don't know how else to say this, fellows. Your friend, Scooter Hunt Grosse, he's..."

"WELL?" They yelled in unison, the tension was too much for him.

"I'm afraid to say, but he's dying."

Chapter Twelve

Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, even Piggy; she had heard it too...time had stopped for them. Although it wasn't one of them...it might as well had been.

"D-Dying...?" Fozzie asked.

"How is he dying, Doc?" Gonzo looked at the phone, bewildered. Kermit stayed silent, looking down.

"He has what's called the hepatits c virus."

"Hepa--what it's again?" Gonzo looked confused, looking up at Kermit for a moment.

"Your friend...he has Hep C. He's dying as we all speak." The doctor sounded so sad, while he spoke to Scooter's friends. He hated to break such news as this...sometimes he wondered why he was ever a doctor in the first place.

"Why has he suddenly gotten sick, then? He was fine a week ago, Doc." Kermit spoke up, curiously wondering.

"His liver isn't working properly, and he apperently had gotten ahold of a nasty cold, and with his weakened body, it's quickly developed into broncitious."

The doctor heard the oppressing silence on the other end of his phone. He realized, they might have taken it the wrong way.

"Your friend is dying yes, but in some way, arn't we all? I'm meaning you don't need to dig his grave just yet. He needs to be protected from sicknesses, and watched over when he does get sick. You know how the body works? It protects you naturally from most illnesses. But...he's not able to protect himself as well as he had before."

Kermit looked upwards towards Scooter's room, he was still sleeping apperently. Or so he thought. Scooter was in fact sitting on his bed, reading some more of those stories he had found. He was getting sleepy, but he didn't want to shut it off, just yet.

"...wow...these people do really great stories of us..." He was drinking some hot tea that Rowlf had brought up for him, eariler that day. Robin was curled up in Scooter's armchair, he still worried about him a whole lot. But Scooter told him to just stay in the chair, not on the bed, like Robin had wanted orginally.

He heard the knock on his door, and he had tried to get up, but he was just exhausted. Robin instead pushed open the door.

"Hey Uncle Kermit!" Robin said happily, he saw his Uncle's expression. "Uncle Kermit? Is something the matter?"

Kermit stayed still for a moment, he wasn't sure what to say. He didn't expect Robin to be in there with Scooter. He picked up Robin, and held him close, walking over to the same chair Robin was in eariler. Gonzo and Fozzie both sat at the edge of the bed, smiling as best they could.

"Boss? What's wrong?" Scooter closed the laptop, looking at Kermit, then at his other friends.

A few uncomfortable moments passed, silence filled the room like an oppressed cloud.

"You're dying, Scooter!" Gonzo suddenly blurted out, then he closed his eyes for a second, sighing. Fozzie played with a loose string on the bedsheet, while Robin dug deeper into the crook in Kermit's arm, hugging him tightly.

"I'm what?" Scooter sat up more in the bed, the laptop slipping off and slamming on the floor. He could hear the screen cracking. He stared at Gonzo, and his eyes widened. "H-How...Why?"

Kermit hugged Robin, like he was a teddy bear, he hated to say it to one of his best friends. "It's your liver, Scooter. It's basically...stopped working. And because of it, your getting weaker, and the doctor had told us, you might live for only a few months, unless you could get a transplant..."

Scooter was silent, staring at the same small string Fozzie was messing around with. All thoughts had stopped. He thought his heart had stopped.

It felt like the world had stopped for him. And it would never start again.

-------------------

The nursery was silent. Nancy had left them to go and sit back in the TV room, she had a feeling they would eventually work things out between them. She could hear things hitting the wall, and something then being sprayed.

"I hope to god they don't wreck Kermit's horse...or Rowlf's piano..." She grimaced a bit, then turned the TV's volume louder.

Then it stopped. Just as suddenly as it begin, it stopped. She decided it was now time to check up on them. She opened the door, and was astonished.

The two grown women were covered in spray paint, black and red respectively. Skeeters shirt was ripped, and Sadie's pants had a hole in it. The two had been fighting. And hard.

"...I can't believe you two. Fighting like children! And you're mother and daughter no less!"

Skeeter smiled sheepishly, and helped Sadie to her feet. Sadie felt the hole in her pants, and wondered if she could fix it soon enough. Skeeter felt the rip in her shirt, and zipped up her jacket quickly.

"I used to change your diapers, that isn't going to phase me, Skeet." Nancy stepped down the small stairs and looked around the room. It was completely clean, and spotless. The two had graciously moved the furniture and other stuff, before they fought each other.

"Why did you two decide to fight though?" Nancy was quite puzzled at the two of them. "I know Skeeter was always a little hellion, but I never figured she'd try to start a fight with her mother!"

Sadie laughed a bit, wrapping an arm around Skeeter's shoulders. "She just got so angry at me, she decided to take it out on me."

"But, Mom or not mom, I wouldn't let them fight unfairly, so we just had a bit of a wrestling match." Skeeter smiled at Sadie. After the fight, during that silence, Sadie had shown Skeeter some pictures of herself with the twins, so Skeeter knew who she was after it.

Nancy looked at them from head to toe. Sadie had black spray paint on her shirt and her ripped pants, and even had some in her hair then. Skeeter's shirt was ripped from the shoulder to the bottom edge, it would have fallen off it weren't for the other shoulder holding it up. She had red spray paint all up and down her pants, and had a few streaks on her face. It actually looked like it was smeared there on her face, instead of sprayed on.

"...So everything is alright, I take it?" Nancy smiled, leaning on a cane now, the crutch was a bit too uncomfortable, so she switched to a cane now. She saw the memory box was open, the items laid out in front of it. Scooter's computer hasn't been opened. "You've found the box. That's very good."

Skeeter smiled, and walked over, holding up a very small shirt against herself. "I'm suprised I was ever that small, Nanny!"

Nancy just laughed, as Sadie walked over, and started sifting through the box, talking excitedly with Skeeter over the contents. She left the room slowly, walking down the hallway. The phone started to ring in the kitchen, and she went inside and picked it up.

"Hello, this is Nancy Takashi...and who's this?" Nancy asked happily into the phone. The other end was silent.

"Hello? Who is this?" She was about to put down the phone, when the other person responded.

"Hi ho, there." The person said, unenthusatically.

"Kermit! I'm so glad to hear from you again! What are you doing, calling for at this time of night? Don't you have your show to do?" She glanced at her watch, and it was nearly 8pm now.

"We've postponed the show, Nancy." Kermit looked over at Gonzo and Fozzie, who were just sitting on the sofa again.

Her voice became gentle, as if she was speaking to him as he was a small child. She knew he would appereicate it. He may have been a grown frog, but she knew what was needed. "What's wrong? I can hear it in your voice, Kermit."

"Scooter...he's...he's very sick, Nanny." Kermit tryed to remind himself, that he didn't need to call Nancy, Nanny anymore. But the name stuck, and it was hard to change it, even as a grownup.

She thought for a second. 'They're grownups now. Why are they going out of their way to call me about it? It probably is just some cold or something. But, she couldn't say that to them, she pratically raised him and his friends. She grabbed the seat, sitting down.

"Oh dear. Have you taken him to the doctor, then Kermit?"

"Yeah. That's the problem, Nan---Wahh!" Kermit was being wrangled by Gonzo, and Fozzie, for him to put it on speakerphone.

"Fine! Nanny, you're on the speakerphone." Kermit grumbled, as the two got off of him.

"Oh. Hello!"

"Hi, Nanny!" Gonzo and Fozzie said in unison to the phone.

---------

As the boys told Nancy what had happened with Scooter, Piggy had stood in the doorway to the kitchen, listening, a tray of food in her hands. She wasn't eating it though. It was for Scooter.

She didn't say anything to them, but she walked up the stairs, and knocked on his door. Hearing no response, she opened it. She saw him sleeping soundly, she lowered her eyes for a second. She knew he bothered her all the time. But...he was one of the people who had helped them keep their theatre.

He always convinced his Uncle to extend their lease. And he was the first to give up his paycheck. He never cared about the paycheck at all. Piggy suddenly felt very ashamed of herself.

'Although Kermie was the head of us all...Scooter was the heart. He kept us on time...kept us reminded of what we had to do.' Piggy's thoughts came to a halt, when Scooter turned over and smiled at her.

"Hey there Miss Piggy." Scooter sat up in the bed, and smiled at Piggy. She blinked back tears, and sat the tray on his lap not so gently. He scrambled to grab the plate before it hit the floor. Piggy sat down in the armchair beside him, and slipped a glove off, starting to file her nails, not looking at him.

She was trying her best not to cry.

"Piggy?" Scooter asked, taking a gulp of his drink. "Yoo-hoo?" She didn't say a word, but kept filing her nails, looking at the floor. Scooter just decided to let her be, he didn't feel like getting a karate chop today, or getting yelled at. The two sat in silence, while he ate.

After he was done, Piggy picked up the tray, and started to leave the room. She turned around and gave Scooter a peck on the forehead.

"Huh? Miss Piggy..?" He asked, not knowing what else to say.

"...It...it would be a shame..." Piggy said, tears gathering at her eyes now. She turned away from Scooter, he could tell although something was bothering her, but she was getting kind of overly dramatic now.

"A shame? What are you talking about?"

Piggy looked down at Scooter. He didn't look like himself now, such a pale face and weakened frame; everyone was making sure he ate, especially her. She didn't realize or even know why she suddenly cared so much for him. She didn't love him, like she loved her Kermie. But still...she loved him as if he were her brother. She patted his head, and smiled.

"A shame if you should leave, too soon, Scooter. We'd all miss you so much!" With that, she hugged Scooter tightly, and he wrapped his arms around her, not really knowing what else to do. Piggy wasn't even making much sense, she wasn't even speaking whole sentences now. She just spoke to him what her heart was saying to her.

"I love you, Scooter...not like Kermit of course, but we'd all miss you, if you died, and left us! You're always...on time and everything. You'd convinced your uncle to help us keep the theatre, and you loved us, no matter how much we fussed at you, or bothered you; and...oh! You even gave your paycheck up, and I wouldn't, and I was so selfish that Christmas, and I still am...and...and..."

She looked at Scooter, two slim tear lines tracing her porcine cheeks. She sniffled at bit, and stood up, smoothing out her shirt. She grabbed a tissue, and dabbed at her eyes, then blew her nose.

Scooter smiled, although Miss Piggy was sometimes mean to him, he felt no malice towards her. He always knew she just had a bad temper, and he just brushed it off as normal going ons.

"Um, thanks Miss Piggy. I still feel bad about calling you 'ham'."

Piggy's sad smile fell, she raised an eyeridge at him. "When did you call me 'ham'?"

"Oh. When I was talking to Kermit over the walkie-talkies. During our Winter Show a year back. I had told him, "The ham is jammed." I heard you yelling, so I thought you were angry with me."

Piggy stared at him. She never had heard him say anything like that before. "I was yelling because I was upside down and stuck, Scooter. I never had heard what you said."

"Oh, okay. Thanks...for all you've been doing for me." He smiled, a little embarrassed. He was used to dragging things, and getting things for everybody else. This was a new to him.

"It's no trouble, Scooter. We just hope you get to feeling better soon." She picked up the tray once more, and left his room, closing the door halfway. Scooter sighed, and looked at his laptop, it was completely busted from yesterday.

"I guess I'll never know what happened to us then..."

He turned over, setting the broken laptop on the floor, and he went back to sleep.

Chapter Thirteen

Jerry was driving his car back home. He remembered what Eli had tryed to do to Nancy. His cell phone rang. He pulled into some random parking lot, and answered it.

"J.P. Grosse here! What do you need?"

"Hey there, J.P. It's Kermit."

"Oh, hello. You guys don't need another extension do you? The theatre's fine isn't it?" He worried that Kermit might be asking for more money to fix the theatre or something like that.

"N-No, J.P. Scooter's really sick, and he'd like to see you. He said he wants to talk to you about something. He won't tell us what, but...he's just wanting to see you, that's all."

"Is it possible to meet at the theatre, Kermit?"

"Yeah. We'll be there in a little while, J.P. How far away are you?"

"I'm about twenty minutes away. I'll make it as quick as possible."

"Oh good. We'll see you then."

Jerry closed his cell phone, and started up the car. He started to drive to the theatre. He wondered just what his nephew would want to speak to him about.

He had hoped it wasn't what he thought it was about.

---------

She had stayed seated in the kitchen. After talking with the boys, she didn't want to move anymore. She didn't want to break Sadie and Skeeter's hearts. Breaking a heart twice in one day is very bad on the person, she believed.

But, she didn't have to move. Because, they came to her.

"Hey there, Nanny!" Skeeter said happily, opening the fridge. She saw a jug of orange juice and poured herself a glass. Then she poured one for Sadie, and another for Nancy. She set the glass of juice in front of Nancy and sat down at the long dining table.

Nancy didn't touch the juice. She just stared at it. Sadie sat beside Nancy, and patted her shoulder.

"Nancy?" Sadie took a sip of the drink, and noticed Nancy's hands were shaking, she placed her own hand on them. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

"Your boy is dying, Sadie." Nancy said simply.

It was now Sadie's turn to stare at her half-drank glass of juice. A few moments of silence passed. She sighed, and looked over at Skeeter.

But, she was gone.

"Skeeter? Skeeter?" Sadie leapt up from the table, and went looking for her daughter. She was worried, about what...she didn't know. But her heart told her to find her, and find her quick.

-----------

The young girl was running. Running as if her life depended on it. She knew where that old theatre was, and went towards it. She had walked many times around the old small town of Hensonville. She knew her way around it by heart. What her mother and Nancy didn't know, was that her and Scooter, they knew each other. They knew they were safe.

They knew they existed.

Weather it was twin's intuition, or simply her soul that drove her, she kept running. Even before Nancy had said a word, she knew her brother was hurting. And he needed help.

So, she ran.

------------

"SKEETER!" Sadie was now halfway down the street, yelling with all her might, to try to find Skeeter, who was already nearly 2 miles down the road.

Nancy walked outside the house, and shook her head. "Skeeter isn't anywhere in the house, Sadie."

She hung her head, and dug her hands deep in her pockets. She felt a small crumple of paper. She pulled it out.

She knew where they were.

And she was going to find them both.

"Get in my car, Nancy. I'll drive." Sadie said, determation on her face.

"But why, Sadie? What's happened?" She sat down in Sadie's car, pulling the cane inside with her. She wasn't questioning her, but rather what did she figure out.

"I've lost them once." She cranked the car, and with a screech, she was on the road, almost speeding down the road. She was a mother ready to fight, a feral woman wanting to protect her young. She looked over at Nancy for a second.

"And I'm not going to lose them again."

Chapter Fourteen

All of the Muppets piled into the Mayhem's bus. Kermit was in the front seat, and Piggy was beside him, Robin on her lap. Gonzo was on the other side of them, Camilla tucked close to him under his arm. Dr. Teeth was driving, and the rest of the Electric Mayhem were near the back, with Animal chained to his usual seat. Scooter was laying down on the last seat of the bus, stretched out long, so he could sleep some more.

"What's going on with the gofer, froggy man?" Floyd asked Kermit, yawning a bit. It was so late at night when they finally got going towards the theatre.

Piggy was leaning against Kermit, her and Robin fast asleep themselves. Kermit for once, didn't seem to mind it at all. He turned around slightly, to speak to Floyd, and everyone else who might not have known.

"Guys. We're going to talk to Scooter's uncle, see what he can do to help him. Scooter might also be going to the hospital soon."

"HOSPITAL! HOSPITAL!" Animal yelled, getting a bit excited, for no apparent reason. Scooter turned his head away from Animal's yelling.

Floyd yanked at Animal's chain, and he looked back at Scooter again. "He's sick? I thought he might just haven't seen enough of that golden sun, ya know?"

Janice agreed with Floyd, and looked out the window again. "Yeah...poor guy looks rully beat."

Kermit just nodded his head, and turned back to Miss Piggy and Robin. She had a good grip on the little frog, and the two were sleeping peacefully beside him. He wondered what had happened when she gave Scooter his meal...after that, she was so quiet. Even when Floyd had made a crack about her, she never threatened him. He thought that was quite unlike her.

"Everybody, wakeup time!" Dr. Teeth proclaimed a short while later, as he eased the bus into a parking spot.

Everybody filed out of the bus, except for Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo. They looked down at Scooter, who was still asleep; and wondered how they were going to help him out of that bus. They really didn't want to wake him up. He looked so peaceful.

"You guys go ahead, I'll get him up." Fozzie replied to the two, and he watched as they left the bus.

Fozzie knew how to help others when they were so sick like this. He'd helped his Ma for a good while, when she was sick. She got better though, but...it was just like with his Ma again, with Scooter here.

He eased one of his paws underneath Scooter's back, and another underneath his head. He pulled him up in a big hug, against him, to get him sitting up. Scooter opened his eyes, and looked over at Fozzie, he smiled.

"Hey, Fozzie. What're doing?" He shuffled around, and sat against the bear for a second. He looked down at Fozzie's arms, which were still around him...supporting him up, so he wouldn't fall back against the seat.

"I...I'm sorry I'm such a burden, Fozzie."

"Never say that, Scooter. You're never a burden on any of us."

He looked at Fozzie, who was smiling gently at him. Fozzie then stood up, and helped Scooter to his feet, and the two walked out of the bus, and into the theatre.

Scooter had found one of the heckler's armchairs, backstage, and he settled into it. He sniffed the air, when he sat down.

"It smells like old man, Fozzie." He laughed, looking up at Fozzie.

"It should, they are so old, they're history!" Fozzie laughed at his attempt of a little joke, and Scooter chuckled.

-----------

The black car swerved into the theatre's parking lot, almost hitting the bus in the process. Sadie hopped out of the car, slamming the door. She ran up to the theatre's back door, and pounded on it.

"PLEASE! Open this door for me!" She yelled, her heart felt like it was tearing some more, with every passing second she was away from her son.

Nancy stepped out of the car, and walked calmly over to Sadie. She saw the woman frantically working the doorknob, hoping it would open, Sadie was starting to cry, because she thought they weren't opening it fast enough.

Rowlf heard the commotion outside, and he walked down the hall to open the door.

Suddenly, Rowlf was underneath an older female muppet. Her glasses had fallen off, and she was trying to get up, and find them. Rowlf then handed them to her.

"Where's Scooter?" She asked quickly, not caring about who she just squashed in the process.

"He's right over there, mam." He pointed to the back of the armchair, across the backstage room. He blocked her for a moment, not letting her pass. "What's so important that you need to see him? He's a bit under the weather right now."

Sadie said nothing, but shoved Rowlf to the side, so she could get by.

"HEY! You don't need to bother him, mam!" He started to walk towards her, and a hand grabbed his ear, gently.

"Rowlf, let her be. She's his mother, dear." Nancy said quietly, into his ear. He turned around, and his eyes widened a bit.

"N..Nanny? Uh...hi?"

"Hello, Rowlf."

While the two talked softly about what had been happening with each other, Sadie walked up beside the armchair, having picked up a small chair herself. She set the chair down beside him, and looked at him for a second.

Scooter was asleep, yet again. He was still in his pajamas, with his Muppet Show jacket on. He was wearing his red sneakers, them propped up on a small box that was in front of him. One of his hands were dangling off of the armrest of that old chair. Sadie reached forward and held his hand. She said nothing, but just being able to touch his hand, meant the world to her.

She was able to comfort her son, in the only way she really knew possible. To just be there. To love him with the might that only a mother could express. Scooter felt the touch of her hand, and he looked over. He thought it might be Miss Piggy, or perhaps Annie Sue.

"Hi sweetheart." Sadie whispered softly, she reached up and stroked Scooter's forehead. She knew he probably didn't know her from Jane Doe, but, she couldn't stop herself. She wanted the world to scoop him up in her arms, and just cradle him. Although he was nearly 20 now, she still loved him no less.

"Hey." Scooter watched the woman carefully, he wasn't scared, he didn't even move. His heart told him, in that unspeakable, undecipherable language...she was his mother. The woman who he had longed to see, since he was merely a toddler.

She was who he was searching for. He reached over, and gave her a hug, he leaned against her shoulder, he felt like crying, he was so happy. That small part of his heart, that had been broken for too long, it was repaired. Just one small part remained apart, but...he figured no heart was ever whole, so it was as it should be. He let the flood gates open. He cried, into her shoulder. She just simply held him for what seemed like an eternity to them both.

Kermit held Piggy's hand, watching the others. No one spoke, no one moved, except their hearts.

----------

Skeeter finally slowed down, grabbing onto a telephone pole, she was about 20 feet away from Jim's shoppe, and she was gasping for air now.

'I'm a marathon runner...but this is insane! I should have stayed behind and let my mom drive me there!' She heard a car driving by, she saw who the driver was.

"HEY! JIM! Can you give me a ride, PLEASE!" She waved her arms, yelling, trying to get Jim's attention. She knew she was about another hour of running away from the theatre, at the pace she had slowed down too.

Jim pulled the car over, and leaned out the passenger window. "Hey, Skeeter! I haven't seen you a long time! What's the problem?"

"I need a ride to the Muppet Theatre, please. And quick! Can you get me there?" She huffed a little, still feeling winded out.

"Sure, hop in! It'll be no trouble, Skeeter!" Jim replied to her. She got into his car, and he pulled a u-turn, going towards the theatre now.

Chapter Fifteen

Jerry pulled into the parking lot of the theatre, he saw a familar car, and he paled.

"She...oh no." He shook his head, what had happened; had happened, and he couldn't do anything about it. He stepped out, closing his door, and he walked into the theatre, using his key. He saw Nancy there as well, talking with Rowlf, and Beaker and Bunsen about how everyone was doing. The rest of the muppets were sitting out in the seats, either talking, or sleeping, it was nearly 10pm anyways. They all wished they were back at the boarding house, asleep.

Then he saw them both. He just wished Eli didn't know what was happening. He walked over to the chair Scooter was in, and he merely sat down, not saying a word. Sadie and Scooter didn't say anything either. It was too soon for speaking, for any of them.

----------

Eli glared at the figure across from him. The figure glared back, red eyes appearing from underneath his hood, blazing brightly. The two appeared to be in a staring match of some sort. Eli lit another cigarette, then he offered the figure one.

"DON'T YOU KNOW THEY'LL KILL YOU, TAKASHI?"

"I'm already dead, what does it matter, old friend?" He puffed away on it, looking over at the figure.

"STILL. THEY ABSOLUTELY STINK."

"Then why did you put that idea into those people's heads so long ago? You knew what it would become, and now you complain they stink?"

"DIDN'T REALIZE THEY MAKE THEM STINK LIKE THAT. I KNEW ALL THE BAD STUFF THEY'D PUT IN IT." He glared at Eli. "JUST DIDN'T KNOW THEY'D STINK SO BADLY." He reached with a bony hand, waving away the smoke from it.

Eli merely laughed at Death, then put the cigarette. "Anything, old friend. What have you come for this time?"

"THE BOY."

"It's not just his time yet, I'm sorry." Eli smiled, glancing at a picture of Scooter with his Uncle.

"...YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER THE BOY, ELI. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT BY NOW." Death gripped his sythe hard, staring down Eli. "YOU WILL THEN MAKE IT IS TIME."

"I wish to see them in misery a bit longer, Death. He and his friends amuse me. Then, when the time is right, he'll be yours. Be patient, old friend. It will be soon, I assure you." Eli grinned like he won the lottery. Although, no one could see it, his forked tail flickered from side to side, in purest delight. He lit another cigarette, while watching Death leave in his black smoke and flames.

"Yes...I definately assure you it will be soon..."

----------

Scooter leaned against his mother, while the two talked of many things. How he came to meet Kermit and all of his friends. How his Uncle had been taking care of him since he was a toddler, out of Nancy's care. And how he and they met up again, a while back when Kermit was merely a frog from the swamp, wanting to make it in Hollywood.

"And how did you get all the way out in Hensonville, sweetheart?" Sadie asked, curious.

"Well, Uncle Grosse bought this old theatre, and Kermit needed one to do his show in. So, he came to use this theatre." Scooter replied to her, idly twisting a bracelet on her wrist.

"Oh. Why would you rent a theatre out to a lot of frogs, and dogs, and other stuff like that?" She asked Jerry, who smiled.

Scooter laughed, looking at his Uncle, who was keeping tight lipped about it. "Because the rent was cheap, and it's big enough for all those frogs and dogs and other stuff."

Sadie laughed, and there was a loud knock at the door, she looked over her shoulder. Jim walked in the door, followed by Skeeter.

"Hey Rowlf. Glad to see you again. Skeeter waved me down from the side of the highway, apperently she needed a ride here." Jim told Rowlf, as he and her entered the theatre's back enterence. Rowlf merely nodded, letting them inside from the dark night.

"Hey Mom!" She exclaimed, walking over to her, walking around the chair she was seated in, her eyes fell upon J.P. Grosse, and Scooter. She kneeled down in front of Scooter, who said nothing, but smiled.

To her eyes, he looked like he was at death's door. She reached forward and hugged Scooter tightly. He hugged her back, she noticed he barely had any grip in his arms; he must've been so weak now, she figured. Skeeter sat on the floor, in front of the short armchair, and they started talking up a storm about...well, their lives until that point.

Kermit sat on the stage, reading Scooter's clipboard. Jim walked out onto the stage, and sat beside Kermit.

"Oh, hello there Jim. What are you doing here?"

"It's a weird story Kermit. Skeeter was walking alongside the road, looking quite exhausted, and she flagged me down, asking for a ride here. So, I didn't want her to get hurt, and I drove her here." Jim pulled out his cell phone, and called his wife. He told her he'd be late for getting home, he had to help a friend. His wife understood, he did this all the time; so what was new?

-------------

Eli knew what was going on. He could feel it in his bones. They had gotten together. It was now time. He closed the door to his office, and he sat at his desk, lighting another cigarette. He took a deep drag in, and let the smoke blow out, over the picture of the gofer, and he money-grubbing uncle. He smirked, knowing just what to do...

-------

Sadie was nearly asleep now, in the chair, half-way holding Scooter. He turned over in his fitful sleep, and his arms wrapped around his chest, he was hurting so bad. He wished the pain would stop. His eyes flew open, when he felt the jab of pain, like a hot knife.

"...M..Mom..." He barely could whisper, the pain debilitating him. "Mom!" He tried to raise his voice, but it was hard.

Sadie jerked awake, hearing Scooter speak. He had said barely anything that night, so...this woke her up in a quick minute. "Scooter, what's wrong?"

He couldn't say anything, as the pain ripped through him. He just hoped if he did die...it wouldn't be in his Mother's arms. She'd suffered enough he thought.

She saw the expression on his face, and she scooped him up in her arms. She jabbed Skeeter and Jerry awake, using her foot. Then Skeeter went and woke up everyone else.

Within five minutes, everyone was on their way to the hospital. To try and save Scooter.

Chapter Sixteen

A cell phone rang, breaking the overhanging silence that made up the waiting room outside the surgery wing. Everyone checked themselves, until they found out who it was.

"Hey there, dear. I know I'm not home yet, I'm sorry. They just need me here. Yeah, I'll be home as soon as everything turns out alright." Jim was overheard speaking to his wife again.

"Scooter's in a bit of a jam right now. Yeah he's here at the hospital. He's in surgery right now, they...they're trying to save him.

They haven't even told us what was going on with him yet. I know I'm not family, but I wish they'd come out and say something to us. I love you too, Jane. See you later, hun."

With that, he closed his cell phone, and sat back down beside Kermit. Although most of the muppets were sleeping, he wasn't.

The lone frog kept his eyes steady on the double doors. He worried for his friend. He worried for his friends family. He also worried a little for himself.

'It will never be the same without him.' Kermit thought, a magazine balanced on his knees, but he wasn't even reading it. It's probably why the 'zine was Ladies Home Journal too. He flipped another page, when something caught his eye. He looked down.

It was an ad for their Winter Show. Resplended in greens and reds, a large group shot of him and all of his friends. Near the bottom, was Scooter. Everyone was in that group shot, he remembers when it was taken. About two months ago.

-------------

"Boss, do I have to be in that picture? I mean, I'm not even in the show..." Scooter was asking Kermit, while flipping through his clipboard, he didn't like being under everyone else for that picture. They were on raised platforms, of course, but he never liked being there. He just wasn't too fond of having pictures taken of himself, he was too modest sometimes.

Kermit just smiled, and patted Scooter's back absentmindly, he was buttoning up the last button on his tuxedo. His nice old purple one, that he always loved. Scooter was already wearing his, but the bowtie was undone. It looked like Scooter hadn't gotten much sleep over the past few days, Kermit had thought.

But with a little bit of cojoling, Kermit got him to get into that picture. Scooter kept goofing off during the whole time, making Gonzo and Fozzie laugh, so many takes were had. Piggy slapped Scooter upside his head, during one take, and he nearly fell off the platform with that hit. But he scrambled up there, and he even made fun of Piggy because of it. Kermit wondered why he was in such good spirits that day, Scooter usually was a little quiet, self reserved.

Maybe it's when the cameras are rolling Kermit though, that he just lets loose, like a little kid again.

------------

Kermit smiled, looking down at the picture once more. He looked back at the double doors, he saw Sadie, standing there beside them. She kept looking inside the small round windows. She couldn't see the surgery theater, but only the long hall down to it.

She had eariler tried to slip down that long hall, but a nurse had gently led her back outside. She cried when that happened. She was still sniffling, she couldn't stop her tears from coming.

He could see her heart was breaking again. And he nearly broke down himself. Kermit felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked over beside him, it was Jim.

"Come on, Kermit. We've gotta be strong for them. It won't help if everyone is breaking down, will it?" Jim said to him softly. Kermit looked up into Jim's face. He knew the man was sweet, and he had helped them a few times. He even went so far once as to represent them, to a couple of companys; when no humans would listen to those frogs, dogs, chickens, and bears. Kermit nodded, saying nothing.

Skeeter kept pacing around, she probably could feel in her soul what was happening. She was his twin, after all. Fozzie had tried eariler to ask her if she knew what was happening in surgery to him. She told him she's his twin, not a magican. That was nearly two hours ago. It was almost 2 am in the early cold morning. They all wondered, and worried. Even in their slumber.

All for one small young man, who...without even realizing it, was not just Skeeter's brother. But everyone's brother, in some way.

------------

A lone man, sat outside the hospital, on a bench. A cloud of thin smoke envolping him. He smiled, his glasses glinting in the waning moonlight, underneath the inky sky. He was waiting. Waiting for the right time, to come inside.

'Just another hour.' He thought. 'Another hour, and I'll get the boy.'

"YOU WAIT TOO LONG, SON." Death told the man, standing on the otherside of the small bench. He wasn't looking at the man, but at the hospital.

"THEY'LL FIGHT YOU, YOU KNOW. YOUR TIME IS RIGHT NOW. GET HIM WHILE YOU CAN."

He took another drag of his cigarette, and he smirked softly. "I like to see them fight." He clenched his hand over his heart, playfully making a saddened face, making fun of what he knew he would see. Then he laughed cruelly.

"Plus, were would the soul crushing loss come in, if he died on that table? I want to see his mother's reaction. His sister, breaking down. His friends, feeling all hope is lost."

"THEY HAVE MORE HOPE THEN YOU'LL EVER SEE IN THIS WORLD, ELI. THEY BAND TOGETHER WHEN GRIEF OVERCOMES THEM. THEY ARE STRONGER THEN THEY LOOK."

"Puh." He stated, letting his cigarette drop onto the ground. It burned until it was no more. "I do not care for their hope, Father. I only care about his soul. But I will wait, Father. And you shall too."

"YOU HAD BETTER WATCH OUT SON. ONE SLIPUP, AND I'LL TAKE YOUR SOUL, INSTEAD OF HIS." Death turned back towards the hospital, seeing an older woman, walk outside, to stretch her legs a bit. "YOUR SISTER IS HERE. SHE'LL FIGHT FOR HER CHARGES AS WELL."

"She knows where her place is in life. She won't fight me. She was always like Mother, you know. Weak-willed." He picked up another cigarette out of his pack, and was about to light it, but instead looked at it.

"I'm weak-willed, am I?" Nancy was behind Eli, suddenly, and she placed both hands on his shoulders. His brother could smell her, she smelled like roses, or some kind of sweet-smelling flower, he thought. He could feel her soft sweater against his neck, he brushed it away. She sat down on the bench beside him, and looked at him.

"You're still smoking brother, why is that?" She reached out, and took the cigarette from him, but she didn't destroy it. She instead lit it, and took a small puff.

He watched her, for a moment, before chuckling softly. "Then answer me, dear sister, why are you?" He glanced around, seeing Death had left them both alone. He could still be there, but Eli didn't feel it.

"One of my children could be dying for all I know, Eli. I'm worried." She looked at him, she could see his cold-heartedness from behind his glasses.

Eli laughed, looking back at the hospital doors. "You don't know, Nancy? You do know who you are, right?"

"Yes. But I've never liked exacting power. It's too odd, or risky." She put the cigarette out after a few puffs, and looked at him.

"You're here for Scooter then, arn't you?"

He cringed. He never wanted to say that boy's name, it struck his heart, every time he heard it said. He prefered anoymitiy to knowledge and recogination. He looked down, and folded his hands a bit.

"Yes. I am here for him. Will they fight me, sister?"

"I've raised most of them. And yes, they will try their best to save him. It's merely their nature. They are all very strong."

"But you haven't tried to stop me yet, Nancy. Why is that?"

"Although I detest your going to take Scooter away, and even though I don't feel it is his time just yet, I feel no real need to stop you. Because I know, you are going by life and death's rules." She looked at her brother, who was cringing even more. She narrowed her eyes at him. "It is his time, isn't it?"

"..." He did not want to speak anymore with his sister.

"You aren't doing this because...because of Jerry or because of Father's wishes, are you!" She stood up, and glared down at him. Eli kept his eyes locked on his sisters old purple sneakers. "Well? Eli, please answer me!"

Eli stood up, and walked towards the hospital. His trench coat brushed the ground, while his heavy boots crunched under the thin layer of snow. He didn't look back at Nancy. He knew what he had to do. For vengence, he pondered? Or merely because it was this boy's time?

Shaking his head, he walked through the automatic doors. The whoosh from them, erased all of the bad memories and thoughts of what he was going to go and do.

Chapter Seventeen

Nancy followed Eli, running. She was not as quick as him though, as he got to the waiting room before she did. He stood at the edge of the room, watching them. His hands deep in his trench coats pockets. He was clothed, head to toe in black. Sadie's eyes locked with Eli's. He then smiled, walking towards her.

"Hello, Ms. Grosse." His voice was like ice, piercing the lull that hung over the small room. She stayed rooted to the spot where she stood.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Takashi? This is for family and friends only." She stated, her body feeling a bit weak, from the emotional roller coaster she's been on for nearly the whole day. "You need to leave, now."

"Oh, but I am his friend, don't you see? Don't you know why I am here, Sadie?" He walked a little closer to her, and smiled, a cruel cold smile.

Kermit woke up, and jabbed Piggy in her side. She saw Eli standing there, looking all to her like death's angel. She walked in front of him, glaring up at him.

"Sadie said this is for friends only, bub. Now move it or lose it!" She growled at him, she did not like him one bit. She was ready to give him a punch to his stomach, to get him out of there.

"My dear Miss Piggy. You shouldn't interfere in matters you don't of. I'm merely here to see the boy. Make sure...he makes it alright." He removed his glasses, Piggy could see his eyes. They were crimson colored. Like fresh blood. He smiled wide at her, she could see small fangs it seemed, in that toothy smile of his. She narrowed her eyes, not moving an inch.

"She said to leave. Now leave, or I'll make you leave." She balled her fist at him, ready to fight. Piggy couldn't describe the feeling she felt, but she knew he had no business there. Eli laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. He felt cold, like ice to her. She took a step backwards, yet he kept his hand on her shoulder. He stared down into Piggy's eyes.

"You will back away, pig. I do have business here. I may not be a friend then, but...I have business." Eli let go of her, and she was shaking, she walked back to Kermit, and sat down. She looked over at Kermit, she looked terrifed.

Kermit knew she saw something no living thing should ever see. She saw death's presense in his eyes, and she was scared.

Eli walked closer to those double doors, and he laid a hand on the smooth metal, glancing over at Sadie. His smile was gone now.

"I'm here for the boy, Sadie. How long till he gets out of there?"

"What right do you have to know, Eli? You've done enough to my family for one lifetime! Please...leave us be!" She reached forward, and grasped his free hand, he clenched her hand tightly.

"A lifetime you say? One's life dosn't matter much, does it?" He was speaking cryptically, he didn't want to alarm Scooter's friends as to what he was about to do there. He did not wish to fight before he got the boy's life in his grasp. After...he would tell them, and then he would be ready for it.

Death stood by Nancy, both of them at the end of the room. Death did not let himself be seen, as he watched Eli and Sadie talk.

"Father. Why him?"

"IT IS HIS TIME, NANCY."

"But...he's such a young boy! I've seen his potential...he shouldn't leave, just yet!"

"YOU'VE PLEADED ENOUGH NANCY. IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE I FOLLOWED YOUR WISHES THAT THEY ARE NOT ALL GONE ALREADY."

"Still." She stared down at them both, her mind racking as to how she might help. She turned back to Death, and looked strait into his hood. She could see the outline of his skull, and the snake that curved around it, going into one of his eyesockets. It never scared her. She had seen it all of her life. Who would be scared of their Father, anyways?

"Take me instead."

Death looked at her. Her simple statement actually shocked the old ghoul. It was not a plead, nor a cry. Just a simple statement, that echoed across time for him.

"YOU WOULD GIVE UP YOUR EXISTANCE...JUST TO SAVE THIS YOUNG MAN?"

"I've raised them. I was his mother, for the longest time. I know of their bond, Skeeter and Scooter. They should never be seperated. Even if that seperation is death, It would crush my very soul if he died this day, Death. Please. Take me instead. Not him."

He watched his daughter. She was much like her Mother, Life. She hated to see things die. Unlike her brother, Eli. He craved death. He laughed when planes crashed. He was excited when ships sank. He loved earthquakes, and other tragadies. He craved it. Death too, enjoyed it somewhat. But not with the emotion and pleasure that his son got from it. He merely knew it was the way of the universe. It was unavoidable. It was as it should be. But...here was his daughter, asking him to spare this young man, to replace him with her. He looked at his bony hand for a moment, his mind empty.

"...YOU KNOW YOU SHALL NEVER WALK THIS PLANET AGAIN, NANCY."

"I know that. Will you honor what I've asked you then?"

Death looked back at Eli. He was suprisingly quiet, listening to them talk. Sadie had sat down in the chair beside Skeeter. She was wondering why Eli was still as a rock. A pillar of an evil man. His hand still on those double doors. He was staring down that long hall once more, but no words came from his mouth, no emotions played across that stony face. No movement from his muscles. For them, time seemed to stand still. As Eli listened, waiting.

"YES. I WILL."

"So, you will make Eli wait? I wish to see Scooter one last time, when he is better...before I leave."

"YOU WISH TO SPEAK TO THEM ALL, DON'T YOU?"

"Yes. I wish to pass peacefully with them. If I left suddenly, it would kill them, I know it."

Eli went absolutely pale. He turned around from those doors, and walked to Nancy. His face was pure anger. His body was tense, ready to fight already.

"Sister. You cannot do this!"

"I will not let you have him, Eli."

"You've given up yourself for...for him! That lowly boy!"

"He is not lowly, brother. He is a very smart young man. He is one of the reasons these people have kept going on!"

To the muppets, they heard nothing. They saw nothing. What they saw was Eli standing in front of Nancy, glaring at her. But they saw no mouths moving. They heard no words. They did not see Death, standing right beside them. It was as if it were still silent in that small room.

The nurse came down that hall. A clipboard in her hands, she was flipping through the papers. A mixture of a smile and a frown upon her face. She opened one of the doors, and poked her head outside of it.

"Ms. Grosse? Ms. Sadie Grosse?" She saw Sadie stand up, so she walked over to her.

"Is he alright, nurse? Will he make it?" She looked to be near tears once more. She was so worried for her son.

The nurse nodded, smiling. "He'll be okay, Ms. Grosse. He'll wake up from the surgery in an hour or so. He'll be in the recovery room in a few minutes. They are closing him up right now as we speak."

Sadie was so happy. She fell to her knees, thanking God and whoever else she could think of. She felt a gentle hug around her. It was Skeeter, she was crying in happiness as well. Her brother made it through. The two collapsed, crying against each other.

Kermit heard the news, he went around waking everyone up.

"Hey guys! Scooter's gonna be alright! YAAAYYY!" He threw his arms up in happiness, just yelling. He grabbed Piggy and gave her a kiss on the cheek, she hugged him tightly as well. Within a minute or two, everyone was hugging each other, exuberant.

Everyone's thoughts were the same, that cold early winter morning.

'He's going to be alright.'

What little did they know...what sacrifice was made for them that same morning.

Chapter Seventeen

Scooter was wheeled out of surgery, he was in the recovery room now. Normally only two people were allowed at a time into that room. But...in this case the hospital had to make an exception. Nearly everyone was piled into that room. The Electric Mayhem were sitting on the windowsill and underneath it. Sadie and Skeeter were on either side of Scooter's bed. Robin was sitting on his bed. Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo and Fozzie had taken up seats on the floor, around an armchair, which Nancy sat in. Eli was outside the room, sitting in a chair in the hall.

He was absolutely furious. He was clenching the armrests so hard, they were about to come out from under his hands. Death stood beside him, watching in the room.

"Why have you let this happen, Death?" He was now staring at the ground.

"YOU HAD THE CHANCE, ELI. BECAUSE YOU DID NOT TAKE IT WHEN I TOLD YOU TOO. YOUR SISTER HAS TAKEN HIS PLACE NOW. ALTHOUGH I KNOW WHAT SHE SPOKE OF. YOU LOST THAT CHANCE, NOW SHE SHALL LEAVE INSTEAD OF HIM. IF I SEE YOU TRYING TO TAKE THAT BOY'S SOUL, I SHALL TAKE YOURS."

Eli stared at Death. He frowned. He knew when his Father had meant business, so he decided to just leave altogether. He left that hospital, walking down the snowy streets of Hensonville, going towards The Muppet Theatre.

---------------

Uncle Deadly was sitting in the old man's balcony, thinking. The show was supposed to go on tonight, but Kermit had postponed it, due to Scooter's illness. He understood. The only people in that theatre now, were Beauregard and Clifford. They were either cleaning up, or trying to fix the lighting once more.

"Why don't you just give up on that light, Clifford?"

Clifford just grumbled, twisting the screwdriver again, getting the cover on that light tight, so it wouldn't fall.

"You know it's going to break. Haven't you tried the fault breaker yet? That might be the problem." Deadly normally didn't bother with the daily goings of the theatre, but...well, with no one else there, he was bored to tell the truth.

The doors opened in the front of the theatre, as Eli walked inside. Beauregard looked up from his sweeping, and he smiled a bit.

"Hello there. Um...I don't think anybody is supposed to be here this morning."

Eli kept walking, down the pathway around the seats, disregarding the janitor.

"Hey! I said no one's supposed to be---OOF!" Beauregard was pushed down to the ground, Eli's hand upon his chest.

"If you're smart, Mr. Beauregard. You'll keep out of my way." Eli snarled, not wanting to be bothered with anyone that day.

Deadly heard the commotion, and he leapt deftly out of the balcony unto the floor.

"Eli. I might've known. Get your hands off of him. He won't harm you." Deadly frowned, seeing the young man.

Eli removed his hand from Beau's chest, and helped him upright once more. Then he started walking towards Deadly. The phantom stood his ground, and frowned again.

"What are you doing here, you pestering spawn of Death?"

"Such sweet words, you old spook. I'm quite flattered." He replied sarcastically. He sat down in one of the seats, and glanced up at Deadly, smiling.

"Like I said, what business do you have here? I'll get your Father to send you out of here, you know. There are only two people here besides myself. No souls are needed to leave."

"Oh, I'm not here to collect souls, old friend. I'm merely here to see what happens when they return." He drummed his fingers on the armrest, looking quite delighted with himself.

"You haven't done anything to the boy, have you?" He was a bit worried, he had watched everything that had gone on last night in the backstage area. But, as he is dead, he was not able to follow them.

"I wish." He stated. Then he was quiet for a moment. "But...my sister shall leave them, and I would love to see how they are, once they get back here. Plus...I just needed a place to get some quiet. So, please leave, Uncle Deadly. I don't think you'd wish me to harm you."

Deadly watched Eli for a few moments, then he went back to watching Clifford try to fix the light. He figured if hadn't harmed Scooter, it was no trouble letting him stay. He wasn't harming anything anyways.

Chapter Eighteen

Blackness. Complete and utter blackness. It seemed to swallow him whole, yet...he was still there. He wondered if he would ever get out of that place. His thoughts turned inwards, memorys playing by him like yesterday. Him and Kermit playing as toddlers. Always calling Gonzo a weirdo. Never laughing at any of Fozzie's jokes. His sister and Piggy always fighting over who was better at this, or at that. Then...he remembered those fateful days...

He met Jane. He met Emily. He met Hortense. ...When he was little, he thought he hated those women. They took his friends away.

Jane had come by, with James as well. He remembered Kermit leaving the nursery, and Nanny carrying a small box underneath her arms when she came to get him from there.

He hated those boxes. When he saw them...he knew they were gone. He saw the old red truck leave, and it never came back.

Then...another box. And Piggy left. She was crying, she didn't want to leave them. She wanted to stay, to play to her heart's content. But...she couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop it. It merely happened. Then she was gone too.

A while later, yet another box. A small rubber chicken was poking out of it. But instead of leaving that nursery...he stayed one last day. Emily had brought cookies for the children, they played games, while his mother told Scooter of so many jokes she knew. He laughed, he enjoyed her company. Then...while they took their nap...Fozzie left too.

He figured now, Emily didn't want to bother the others with him leaving them. Instead it made them think Fozzie was dead, until he sent a postcard to them. But still...they missed him.

An older man, with blue hair and a saxophone came then. He had said his name was Zoot, and he was here to get Animal. He stayed for a short while. Letting Animal say his goodbyes. Or rather try to tear apart the room one last time. Zoot played his sax a little bit, a cute jaunty tune, and Animal was playing his little toy drum set unskillfully trying to keep up with the man's playing.

Nanny had Animal's box, which she gave to Zoot. He remembered hearing Nanny tell Zoot there wasn't much in there, because Animal pretty much ate anything he got his hands on. Zoot laughed, and said the little guy was always like that it seemed. Then they left too.

By then, only Bunsen, Beaker, Bean, Gonzo, and him and his sister were left. Bunsen always had some silly new contraption to work on, and Beaker was always getting hurt from it. Skeeter was always trying to get him to play with her, but he never really liked playing all that much, she was too rough he thought.

He now wished he had played more, when he had the chance.

Bunsen and Beaker left. An older man, in a white coat came, picking them up. They left like Kermit left. No words, no parting play days, just...left.

Bean left back to his warrens. Scooter didn't really remember much about him though. He just left.

Then...he felt his heart breaking. His memories turned to that day. That day his mind had pushed to the back.

A lady...wearing a sharp black dress came to the house. She was standing at the door, talking with Nanny, he remembered. She was pleading with her. About what he didn't know.

The lady entered into the nursery. Skeeter was trying to help Gonzo get over the swing set, but he kept dropping Camilla, and he wanted to do it with that little toy in his hands. All three of them stopped playing, when the new lady entered into the room. She knelt in front of Skeeter, smiling.

"Hello there, Skeeter." She had said.

Scooter watched Nanny. She looked like she was crying in the hall. The lady stepped forward, still crouched down. She had her hands extended, ready to hug Skeeter. Skeeter walked closer to her, smiling.

"Hi! Who are you?" Skeeter asked her.

The lady smiled, tears flowing down her face. "I...I'm your new mother, Skeeter."

Skeeter stopped walking. She stared at the new lady, then she looked back at Scooter, who was still sitting in front of his small computer. He had stopped typing, staring as well.

"You're our new mother...right?" She asked, curious.

The lady stood up, she saw the little boy in front of that laptop, his thick black glasses almost glinting from the soft light the computer made. Her expression dropped. She didn't know their was two of them. She had only wanted Skeeter. She smiled a little bit, and knelt back down in front of Skeeter.

"I...I'm sorry sweetie. But I can only take you back with me. I don't...I don't have room for your brother."

Skeeter started to cry, the lady gently picked her up and cradled her in her arms. Nanny walked down beside the lady and grabbed her arm.

"Please...take them both. I...I'll even do the paperwork for you! Just take both of them, they're twins! Please!"

The lady shook her head sadly, and started to leave the nursery. In a split second, both Gonzo and Scooter were around her, one on each leg.

"Don't take her lady!" Gonzo yelled at her. All Scooter could do was cry. Skeeter was also crying, but the lady had a tight grip on her, so she couldn't move.

"I'm just sorry, children! Please, let me move!"

Nanny could do nothing. She was powerless to change what had happened. She pried Scooter and Gonzo off of that lady's leg. The two walked down back into the nursery, and they sat there.

The two toddlers didn't know what to do. It was lonely in that nursery. Gonzo pulled out a harmonica and played a soft little tune. It didnt' really mean anything then. Scooter thought, looking back at it, that Gonzo didn't even know what he was playing. It struck his heart when rewatching this painful memories he knew what his friend had played.

It was his favorite song. Deep within that black space, Scooter was singing to himself.

"This looks familiar...vaguely familiar,  
Almost unreal, yet, it's too soon to feel yet..."

He choked on his own words...remembering that same day, back in the nursery. Gonzo never sang that song, yet he played that sad slow melody on his little toy harmonica...

"Close to my soul...and yet so far away.  
I'm going to go back there someday..."

He curled up, wishing he could see his sister again...he never played with them enough...he never was there enough he thought...he missed his friends his heart breaking again...

----------

Gonzo was clasping Scooter's hand. The monitors beeping softly. It was almost 2 hours since he had gotten out of surgery now...he still hadn't woken up.

"..Sun rises, night falls, sometimes the sky calls.  
Is that a song there...and do you belong there?  
I've never been there, but you know the way.  
We're going to go back there someday..."

Gonzo was softly singing to Scooter. He wanted to speak, but...no words had come forth...so he decided he'd sing. That might give some comfort to him...

"Come and go with me...it's more fun to share,  
We'll both be completely at home in midair.  
We're flyin', not walkin', on featherless wings.  
We can hold onto love like invisible strings."

Kermit and Piggy joined in, hoping maybe...just maybe...

"There's not a word yet for old friends who've just met."

By then, everyone was singing softly, in that small room. Rowlf had pulled out his small harmonica...and was playing it now. Robin had curled up on Scooter's chest, watching his sleeping face. Hoping he'd wake up soon. That he would be alright again.

"Part heaven, part space, or have you found your place"  
You can just visit, but I plan to stay.  
We're going to go back there someday.  
We're going to go back there someday..."

Gonzo started to cry, laying his head on the bed beside Scooter. He wanted his friend to wake up so badly now. Everyone was so worried. Piggy dug around in her purse, and she saw her old blue hankerchief. She started to sob now, hugging onto Kermit tightly.

"Oh...Kermie...why won't he wake up yet?"

"I don't know Piggy...I...I just don't know."

Chapter Nineteen

Skeeter sat in the small cafeteria, looking at a cup of coffee. She wasn't drinking it, just...staring at it. Kermit walked down the hall, his flippersteps seeming to echo soundlessly through the short hall. He stopped, seeing Skeeter. He looked like he was going to pass out right there from emotion. He walked further into the room, and he stood at the edge of the small table Skeeter sat at.

She looked up at him, and she didn't smile. Her face showed no emotion right then. She looked so tired, and Kermit could feel for her, he knew what she felt.

"Hey, Kerm." She started to stand up from the table, trying to find something else to say..."Do you want some coffee...or something?"

Kermit was silent, looking at Skeeter still.

A few moments passed between the two. Silence...usually Kermit craved those sweet moments. But now, he dreaded it.

"It's Nanny...something's wrong, Skeet."

Skeeter stood still for a second. The cup still in her hands. She felt her breath catch in her throat.

The cup slipped out of her hands, and she wanted to run again. Run to Nanny...but...her exhaustion overtook her. She passed out cold right then. Kermit knelt down and picked her up, firemen style. He walked slowly back to the room with her.

--------------

"Nanny...?" Fozzie held her hand, and he looked at her. He didn't know what else to say to her. It was as if his Ma was going through this, instead of Nancy.

Gonzo stayed beside Scooter's bed. He wished he would wake up...

Piggy just stayed in her seat, watching Nancy from across the room. She was gripping her blue hanky, sniffling still.

"How do you know, Nanny?" Rowlf asked her simply, holding her other hand. He wished he could play for her...something soft, to make her happy.

She smiled...all of her children were there. Except Kermit and Skeeter. Then he saw the two enter. Kermit wasn't sure what to do with the passed out Skeeter, so he gently set the girl in Nancy's lap. She woke up, and looked into Nancy's face.

"Hi, Nanny." Skeeter scooted over so she was sitting on the armrest now, and not in her lap. "What's wrong?"

Nancy wasn't sure what to say. She still wished Scooter would wake...then...then she thought, she could pass on...with everyone with her.

Gonzo's eyes widened, and Piggy felt like screaming happily just then...when they saw what they saw.

------------

Scooter heard the song...he heard his friends...they loved him...he loved them...it would be all better again, he thought. He struggled, trying to move past his memories...it was hard.

"...uhh...oh...wh..." He mumbled, his eyes opening slowly. He only saw shapes and colors, a dark blue, then a darker green.

Gonzo reached forward and hugged Scooter tightly, and Robin then scrambled up near his head, hugging his head.

"SCOOTER! You're ALRIGHT!" Gonzo yelled, he was so happy just then.

"Everybody! Scooter's awake!" Piggy screamed, and everyone turned their heads towards Scooter. Rowlf held Nancy's hand, and he smiled.

"Hey, Nanny. Scooter's awake." He whispered in her ear. He knew she was dying as they spoke, but he had a feeling she was holding on...for his sake.

"..Thank you Rowlf." Nancy opened her eyes a bit more, and she smiled. He was alright. She felt her heart was whole again. She had protected them as best she could, throughout her whole life. Although her soul was immortal, her body was not. At 66 years old, she felt like she had stayed long enough. She had just wanted to see almost of her 'children' one last time.

Scooter got the bed to sit him up, so he could see Nancy again. He could barely speak because of the ventilator they had him on during his surgery. He looked over at Piggy, and he touched her hand. He wanted her to get closer to him.

"Yes Scooter?" She asked, tears staining her makeup...she didn't care though.

"C-Could you tell Nanny...that I love her?" He turned his face away from her, his voice stratchy, his throat aflame with pain. "A...And I'll miss her?"

Piggy's eyes widened...he knew something that she didn't know. She looked over at Rowlf and Nancy and the others.

"Is something wrong with Nanny, guys?"

No one spoke, except for Rowlf, who still had his paws gently around Nancy's hand. "Yes...she is, Piggy. I mean...she..."

"I'm dying Piggy. Now, children...what did Scooter want to say?"

Tears escaped her eyes once more, and she looked at Nancy. "He said...that he loves you, and he'll miss you a whole lot, Nanny."

She smiled, and leaned back on the chair. Robin hopped off the bed, and he climbed into Nancy's lap. He looked up at her for a moment, then over at his uncle.

"Uncle Kermit...she's Nanny?"

"Yeah, Robin. She is. You...she's watched over you a few times as well."

"Oh wow. Uncle Kermit always talks about you, Nanny!" He hugged Nancy gently, and she held him close. She saw an old book on the table beside her, she hadn't noticed it before. It was Winnie the Pooh. She smiled, and picked up the small book. She was dying, yes. But...she wanted their last memory to be a happy one.

Kermit saw she held the book gently in her hands, looking at the cover.

Her voice was soft, untroubled by what she knew lay ahead of her. She gently opened the book, and turned to the first page..

"Would you like to hear a story children?"

Kermit laid his hand on her shoulder, he looked down into her face, a sad smile crossing his features. "Y-You don't have to, Nancy...you..."

"I'd like to Kermit." She smiled down at Robin, her gray hair brushing his head. He smiled, and snuggled into her. For some reason, he wasn't trouble either that he had heard this lady was dying. Maybe he didn't know what death was just yet, Nancy pondered.

She opened the book and began to read to them. As if they were in the nursery again.

-----------------

It had appeared that Nancy had fallen asleep, in front of the book. Which she did. She had been slumbering peacefully, with Robin curled up in her arm, sleeping as well. Kermit watched Nancy carefully, and a moment later, he picked up Robin, and set him beside Scooter. Scooter held him close, he knew Nanny was close now.

Rowlf kept his paw gently on her hand again, he reached over, and gently felt under her chin. He felt nothing. No pulse. There was a small smile on her face, her free hand laid gently across the small old book, her other hand in Rowlf's paw. He gently laid her hand on top of the other one. Laying his head down on the armrest, Rowlf whined softly. He didn't know what to do. No one knew what to do then. Kermit walked out of the room, and looked down the hall. He went and spoke to the nurse for a moment, she nodded, and went to go call the local funeral home.

Piggy reached up, and gently laid a blanket over Nancy's legs. She wasn't really thinking when she did it. She knew she was dead...but...she didn't want her Nanny to be cold either...

Gonzo sat against the wall, Skeeter beside him. Skeeter just laid against Gonzo's chest, both of them silent.

Animal, suprisingly was quiet, the entire time. He wandered over to Nancy's chair, and he looked back at Floyd.

"Nanny...go bye-bye?" He asked, the normally wild thing as quiet as ever. All Floyd could do was nod his head. Animal looked down at the floor, beside Janice, where his drumsticks lay. He laid them in Nanny's lap, gently.

Robin stirred awake, in Scooter's arms. He saw everyone was so quiet. He looked up at Scooter, who was laying against the bed, tears welling in his eyes now.

"Scooter? I fell asleep...did she finish reading the story yet?" Robin asked quietly, looking over at Nancy. To him, she was sleeping still. A blanket over her legs, and Animal's drumsticks in her lap, beside the old book. Scooter glanced down at Robin, and hugged him tight.

"Yeah...she finished the story, Robin." His voice was very weak, and stratchy. "She finished it Robin."

Robin was going to ask when was she going to wake up, but instead he just curled up in Scooter's arm again, and went back to sleep. The little frog had been awake for nearly a whole day now, without slumbering.

Scooter just watched, as two men clad in white gently lifted Nancy onto a hospital gurney, and wheeled her out of his room. Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, and Rowlf followed them.

Chapter Twenty

Eli walked around the theatre, looking at the man fixing the lights.

"Did they tell you when they'd come back?" He growled up at Clifford, who looked down from the light rigging, and ended up nearly falling off.

"NO MAN. Would you just SHUT UP and go sit down or something? The gofer's in the hospital, I don't know when they'll be back, and I'm trying to fix this dang light, so unless you gonna help me up here, just shut up would'ya?"

Eli watched Clifford a second, then his attention was drawn to the doors of the theatre. Kermit was helping wheel something into the theatre. It was Scooter, in a wheelchair the hospital had given him. They had told him, he wasn't to start walking for almost a week now. Everyone was sad, not really talking anymore.

"...I've made arrangements, Kermit. We'll give her a wonderful service and burial...I'm sure of it!" Sadie told Kermit, while walking in beside him and her son.

Piggy walked ahead of them, to go back to her dressing room, she needed to get something she said. It was really to fix her makeup and to think for awhile. She stopped cold in her tracks.

She saw the man in black again, the demon she had figured he was. He was sitting on the stage, a lit cigarette in his mouth. Puffing away.

"I see you've finally come back from that little trip of yours." He stated. He felt like taking someone's soul just then...he was itching to create some havoc, some mayhem.

"Little TRIP!" Sadie was absolutely furious now. She had kept her emotions of anger in line, but now, she just let all heck loose. A mother angered is not a thing one would like to see much of. She pratically flew at Eli, pinning him to the ground.

"My brother told me everything, Eli. You...YOU..."

"You what, Sadie? You're going to hurt me?" He smiled at her, from where he was on the floor, underneath her, he decided to let his true form show. Those little fangs in his mouth were positively vampire sized, and they could see his black tail coming from behind him. He gripped onto Sadie's arms, and lifted her clear into the air.

"I'd like to see you try, my sweet little wo---."

He let go of Sadie suddenly, and fell forwards onto the stage.

Uncle Deadly had another brick in his hand, one brick was laying on Eli's back now, from where it had struck him on his head.

"That will shut him up for awhile. Until his Father can get here." Deadly set the brick down on the floor, and he looked out to the rest of the muppets.

They were silent, some had their mouth open, but all of them were staring at what just happened.

Deadly was about to say something else, when a pillar of black flames and a pillar of white smoke both appeared on the stage. Death stepped out of the blackened fire, and over to Deadly.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON, DEADLY?" Death asked quite plainly. He was angry with his son, but he still did not like for others to harm him.

"I've merely made him less of a threat. He was going to try to harm Ms. Grosse, your deathlyness." He bowed slightly, moving out of Death's way, over to Sadie.

Eli moaned, feeling the back of his head, he felt the black thick blood on his hand now. He sat up for a second, and he turned his face towards Deadly, growling softly. He stood up, about to pounce, when a bony grimed hand thrust into his chest.

"SON. YOU WILL WALK NO FURTHER. YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAS CAUSED ALL THIS MAYHEM. YOU SHALL BE PUNISHED FOR IT." Death was blazing black now, in anger, he gripped Eli by the shoulder tightly. They could him crumpling in pain underneath the iron grip.

Eli cringed and groaned in pain, as Death turned his head towards the others.

"I'M SORRY FOR WHAT HE HAS ATTEMPTED TODAY."

Kermit and everyone else said nothing, a few nodded. Then Death was gone as quickly as he had came, taking Eli with him. Life stepped forward and off of the stage. She looked quite sad, as she walked towards Scooter. She knelt in front of him, placing a delicate hand on his. He wanted to pull away for a second, he was quite scared.

"There's no need to be afraid, Scooter. I will not harm you." She said softly, she sounded a lot like Nanny he thought.

Kermit stood beside Scooter's wheelchair, holding on the handles to it, Gonzo and Rowlf were beside him. Piggy was halfway down the walkway, but she hadn't walked back towards them. She was still, listening where she was.

She gave Scooter a gentle kiss on his forehead, and she stood up addressing everyone.

"I'm sorry, for the grief my son, Eli had put you through."

'Son? Eli?' Kermit thought, it finally connected to him.

"You're Nanny's...Mother?" Kermit asked the spirit, shocked.

She laughed a little, smiling down at them. "Why yes. I am."

"Then...why did Nanny...leave us?" Scooter asked quietly, his voice still troubling him.

"She was getting too old, my child. She had been wanting to leave this mortal plane for quite sometime. But, she saw no way how to do it properly. Eli...he was wanting your soul, Scooter."

Scooter's eyes widened. He was that close to death the entire time...

"But," She continuted "she asked her Father, Death to take her instead. She sacrificed herself for you Scooter. She is also the reason many of you are still alive to this day. Have you ever thought...why am I here? With many accidents, and explosions? Falling downs, and crumplings? ..And Gonzo's spectular stunts?" That last line, she smiled at Gonzo.

Piggy had walked back towards them now. She watched the spirit of light speak to them all. Everyone was deep in thought, either remembering what Nanny had done for them that they knew, or what they had learned.

"She helped save us...and we never even knew it."

--------------

Kermit and everyone else were standing outside in the cold rain. The snow had turned to slush, and they were wrapped up in dark clothes, battling the cold wind and the soaking rain.

It was a few hours after the service.

Eariler Gonzo had spoke of how Nancy never let him give up his dream of climbing the highest mountain...even if he was wearing only his underwear and socks. And Piggy told of the first time Nancy taught her and Skeeter how to wear makeup and dress like all pretty young ladies should do. Fozzie told a few jokes, that he remembered Nanny loved. No one laughed, but they didn't boo either. They all just smiled.

Rowlf played the piano the entire service, although he did not speak on her behalf, it's what he contributed for her. Kermit sang a touching song, at that moment, he forgot what he even sang. Animal had tried to play 'Taps' on his drum, while Zoot played it on his saxophone. For once, he didn't eat the drums at all.

Scooter and Skeeter did not speak at the service. But they were the last out of the church. Skeeter wheeled her brother outside to the gravesite, where she lay. The earth had already started to settle.

"You missed the burial, guys." Gonzo said, quite plainitively.

Skeeter looked down at the area, a few purple and red roses laying on top. "I know. We...we..."

"We wouldn't have been able to take it guys. So we stayed behind." Scooter said, his arms folded across his lap. Ever since the surgery, because of the stitches, they wouldn't let him walk, until a month had passed. It was still only a week after the fact.

Skeeter faked a small laugh, trying to smile. "Plus, bros new wheels here kept getting caught in the mud." She tried to laugh, but it quickly died down.

Everyone was quiet for a moment.

Scooter was the most quiet there, looking down at the grave. His hands reached around to the back of his wheelchair, and he pulled out that old beat up guitar.

He started to sing. "If just one person believes in you, deep enough, and strong enough, believes in you...hard enough, and long enough, it stands to reason, that someone else will think "If he can do it, I can do it."

Piggy joined in, starting to smile. She remember how Nanny had cared for them, unconditionally, "Making it: two whole people, who believe in you deep enough, and strong enough, believe in you. Hard enough and long enough..."

Kermit joined in, grasping Piggy's hand. He remembered when Nanny had always made sure no one ever felt too small or unsigifant. That they could do anything they set their hearts too. "There's bound to be some other person who believes in making it a threesome. Making it three...people you can say: believe in me..."

Then Rowlf joined in. "And if three whole people, why not -- four? And if four whole people"

Everyone, at that small gravesite, joined in singing, that sweet beautiful song. Nanny had taught them when they were little. Whenever they felt bad, she sang that song for them.

"Why not--more, and more, and more...and when all those people, believe in you, deep enough, and strong enough, believe in you...hard enough, and long enough..."

Soon it was only Scooter singing, strumming his old guitar, smiling as he looked down at the gravesite. He knew Nancy was watching over them, wherever she was now. "It stands to reason that you yourself will start to see what everybody sees in you..."

---------------

Two lone figures stood at the edge of the gravestone. Watching all of them singing.

"You raised them well, my child. They still have much care and joy to spread to this world you know." Life replied to Nancy, who was smiling with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, they do." She smiled, with tears in her eyes. "And thank you..."

Nancy watched as Scooter stopped playing, and he bent forward the chair, one arm holding onto the armrest, the other grasping a small bunch of flowers.

"Thank you Nanny. For all you've done for us. We'll miss you."

With that, they slowly filed away from the gravesite. Talking about the winter show they still had to do. Kermit had agreed eariler, they would dedicate it to Nancy.

Epilogue

It was only a week after the funeral had happened. It was all happening too fast, Scooter thought. He was back in his room, sitting on his bed, the wheelchair beside him. He looked down at himself for a moment. Nearly 40 sitches to close him up. Another 30 or so inside of him, to suture everything up, after the transplant...The doctor's told him it was amazing he got so better so quickly.

He knew it was because of his friends love...and because of Nancy that he was better. He stood up and walked slowly over to his closet, to get dressed that morning. He was going to go ahead and put on his new tuxedo, because he couldn't very well get dressed a second time later that night. He had the undershirt on, when he heard a small knock on the door.

He looked over at the bed, he was almost 5 feet away from it. He could walk...but he wasn't quite up to speed just yet. He frowned, knowing whoever it was, was going to chew him out over him being up and about.

"Uh...come on in. I'm...well I'm as decent as I can be, alright?" He replied to the closed door. It opened, Kermit was standing there.

He saw his gofer standing there, a pair of pants in his hand, undershorts on, and a unbuttoned white shirt and vest on. He was barefoot. He frowned, tapping his flipper on the floor.

"You know you aren't supposed to walking yet." Kermit smiled a bit, walking over to him. "You could pull those stitches out again."

Scooter smiled, seeing him smile. Kermit pointed to the bed, and he grabbed the pants from Scooter, picking up the tuxedoe's jacket from the closet.

The same old dance played out as it had for the past 2 weeks.

Someone came in, and helped him get dressed, at least pants and shoes wise. He wasn't supposed to bend over, because the first time he did that...he had to go back to the hospital and get re-stitched.

As Kermit got Scooter's right shoe on, Scooter frowned a little bit. Kermit looked up at him.

"What's wrong, Scooter?"

"I hate feeling so useless, Kermit. I caused us to have this show postponed. We'll probably not even get as many people in as we could have last time..."

Kermit patted his knee, smiling. "Scooter. You're not useless, you couldn't help what had happened. I don't think any of us could have changed it either."

Scooter nodded, and grabbed the wheelchair, turning it around, and hauling himself in it.

"And I will tell your Mother and Uncle if I see you out of that thing tonight. Got it?" The frog said firmly, but with a smile on his face.

"Right Chief!" Scooter said, a bright smile on his face. He turned his head around slightly, making sure his clipboard and everything he needed was in the back of the chair, then he made his way down the new ramp that everyone had pitched in to build in the boarding house, and within a moment or two he was outside of the house.

So Scooter wouldn't feel ashamed or silly...everyone wore their tuxes and new dresses outside the house, on the way to the theatre.

--------------

The theatre was absolutely packed that night. No seat was empty. Scooter was everywhere in that backstage that night.

"HEY! No eating the props, Behemoth! Animal save the drums for your act, we don't have anymore back there!"

He suddenly felt himself being pushed ahead and around, then in circles, he started to get a bit dizzy. He shifted to see who it was.

"Hey little bro!" Skeeter said happily. She was wearing a beautiful yellow dress, with some pretty bracelets and other jewelery she had borrowed from Miss Piggy. Her hair was in a georgous upswept style.

"Oh! Hey Skeeter! Wh...what are you doing back here?"

"Kermit asked me to keep an eye on you."

"...I don't need to be watched after, Skeet. I'm a grown man you know." He looked to the side, he didn't like being treated like some small child.

"It's just to make sure you can keep up with everything! And...that you learn your act."

"My...act?"

"Yeah...he didn't tell you yet?"

"No...I dont' have an act. I was just going to come out with everyone else at the end.."

"You're the finale, Scooter." She handed him his old guitar, and she smiled.

"We'd better go learn it, really quick then."

--------------

"Hi everyone! Welcome to the Muppet's Winter Splendor Show! I'm your host, Kermit the Frog, and this show is dedicated to a wonderful lady, Ms. Nancy Takashi. She helped us when no one else would." He looked out over the audience, looking past them for a second. "And this show is for her."

"For our first act of the night we have Auntie Eleanor and Uncle Deadly singing a beautiful duet; 'It Had to Be You', Uncle Deadly and Auntie Eleanor, YAAAYY!" Kermit walked off to the right of the stage, still yelling happily, the curtains pulling away.

Uncle Deadly walked out on the stage, with Eleanor right behind him.  
A wintery ghoulish backdrop appeared behind them. It had a haunted mansion, repainted to depict a beautiful wintery wonderland, while they walked under real twisted trees.

Uncle Deadly sang, in his beautiful baritone voice, to Eleanor, "Why do I do, just as you say, why must I just, give you your way, why do I sigh, why don't I try - to forget." He looked to the side, smirking, "I always seem to forget, my love..."

"You certainly do!"

Eleanor joined in, smiling towards her handsome old dragon, "It must have been, that something lovers call fate, kept me saying: "I have to wait, I saw them all, just couldn't fall - til we met.."

Then both of them in harmony sang together. Streaks of lighting lit up the 'sky' behind them, as they sang. "It had to be you, it had to be you, I wandered around, and finally found - the somebody who could make me be true, and could make me be blue!"

Eleanor laughed softly, wrapping her arms around him, as they walked an sang the song. The sound of flying bats filled the air. "Oh VERY blue, my dear!"

Uncle Deadly chuckled, "Yes, my dearest...And even be glad, just to be sad - thinking of you. Some others I've seen, might never be mean. Might never be cross, or try to be boss but they wouldn't do For nobody else, gave me a thrill - with all your faults, I love you still It had to be you, wonderful you, It had to be you"

Then the two of them, walked back towards the backdropped house, and simply dissappeared, the audience clapped loudly, it was only the opening act, but they loved it so much.

Then, Fozzie came on, telling some really bad jokes. He had picked the one's Nanny loved again...but still they were horrible. So everyone booed him off of the stage, as usual.

Gonzo came on, and dragged his cannon out onto the stage. "And Ladies and Gentlemen! I, The Great Gonzo, will shoot myself out of this cannon, only wearing my underwear and socks, while Camilla and the others here clucks "The Star Spangled Banner" He lowered himself into the cannon. "HIT IT LADIES!"

And he went zooming across the audience, and he landed into the balcony pit. "TA-DA!"

"Ta-Da?" Stalder chuckled.

"More like Ta-Don't! Do-Ho-Ho-Ho!" Waldorf laughed, as Stalder joined in; as Gonzo fell backwards, still smiling.

Miss Piggy came out, and sang a song with Kermit. But for someone, he wasn't even really watching it wholeheartedly.

-----------

Scooter was reading his clipboard in the backstage area. He was nervous. If they had let him walk any, he'd be pacing the entire backstage area right now. Every time he did try to get up, either Skeeter or Sadie would push him back down into his wheelchair.

"I have to sing this, Skeeter? All alone?"

"No, silly. I'll go out there with you. And after the first few lines, everyone else will join in with us. You know how that song goes anyways."

He looked down, he did know it. He just wished he didnt' have to sing it in front of all those people.

------------

"Alright! I hope everyone has enjoyed our Winter Splendor Show tonight, and we have one last thing, that we hope will send you home with love and rememberence in your hearts. Here is Scooter, and Skeeter, singing, "Just One Person." He ducking backstage, while everyone was getting ready to go onstage.

Skeeter gently wheeled Scooter out onto the stage, it seemed eerily empty to him. He grasped his guitar, and looked back at her, he looked petrified to her. She leaned against him, and gave him a hug.

"Come on, Scooter. We can do this." She whispered. "She's here you know...she'd love to hear it again, I'm sure."

Scooter nodded, and played a few notes on the old guitar, his foot tapping slowly in time with it.

He started to sing, a bit sadly at first, wondering if he could even do it.

"If just one person, believes in you, deep enough, and strong enough, believes in you...hard enough, and long enough, It stands to reason, that someone else will think "If he can do it, I can do it."

Skeeter joined in, smiling. She stood beside his wheelchair onstage, singing with all her heart. "Making it: two whole people, who believe in you Deep enough, and strong enough, believe in you. Hard enough and long enough There's bound to be some other person who...believes in making it a threesome...

Sadie walked out stage then, singing beautifully. Scooter had never heard his mother sing before. "Making it three...People you can say: believe in me...

Then Kermit and Piggy walked out onstage, singing with their hearts as well. "And if three whole people, Why not -- four? And if four whole people, Why not--more, and..."

By that time, all of the muppets were onstage, gathered around Scooter, their singing almost drowning out his lone guitar. "...More, and more..."

All the larger monsters came behind them all, starting to sing with them. "And when all those people, believe in you, deep enough, and strong enough, Believe in you...Hard enough, and long enough...It stands to reason that you yourself will start to see what everybody sees in you..."

They all quieted down, to where it was only Scooter singing now. The guitar suddenly sounded so loud to his ears, but he kept on playing, and although the audience couldn't see it. He was crying as he sang. "And maybe even you, Can believe in you...too!"

Kermit walked in front of the rest of them, and started to bow, which everyone else did, like a wave it seemed.

"Thank you for coming to see our Winter Splendor Show...We hope you remember what Nancy Takashi has done for us, and what you can do for others this holiday season! Thank you and we all hope you have a WONDERFUL NIGHT!"

Everyone cheered onstage, the audience did a standing ovation. Skeeter started to wheel Scooter out to the front, he was pulling on her, to get her to stop. He whispered urgently to her.

"Skeeter...I'm not supposed get out of this thing!"

"I'll help you with it then." She gently lifted him out of his wheelchair, and with Sadie's help they walked beside Kermit near the front edge of the stage. Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie and all who could fit up there, walked on both sides of them. Everyone bowed at the same time, with Skeeter and Sadie holding Scooter up, so he wouldn't fall.

The curtains closed, and Scooter sat backwards on the stage. He could hear them cheering now. He smiled up at his Mom and his sister. Then over at Kermit and everyone else.

"I...I..."

Kermit just smiled, and extended his hand to Scooter, he took it, and Kermit hauled him to his feet. Then he hugged him.

"Thanks Boss."

"We should be thanking you, Scooter."

Scooter didn't say a word, but Fozzie stepped forward, a small smile on his face.

"We almost forgot...what family was, Scooter."

"But you helped us remember." Piggy added.

"And that's why we thank you, Scooter." Gonzo said last. Everyone nodded their heads.

Scooter had thought...he had lost his family. He had been searching when he could, for them. When in fact...most of his family was already here, and he never seemed to realize it.

---The End---


End file.
